MISTAKEN IDENTITY
by GoldAngel2
Summary: After the Fierce Flowers incident Zoltar comes up with a diobolical scheme to infiltrate G Force with a double of Princess to sabotage a new weapon project Can G Force stop the impostor and rescue her before it's too late?
1. Default Chapter

_Author's Note: Here's a plot that came to me as I watched the 25th Anniversary DVD set of Battle of the Planets and came up with an idea of Zoltar sabotaging a new weapon right after the failed Fierce Flowers mission. And I figured I could use Mala and one of the Galaxy Girls to infiltrate G Force while the relationship between Mark and Princess deepens. As usual, I don't own the characters or original storyline they belong to Sandy Frank Syndication and Tatsunoko. _

**MISTAKEN IDENTITY**

**PROLOGUE-REDEMPTION**

The skies over the dying planet of Spectra were leaden gray and soot filled as the pollution that permeated the planet blanketed the bleak lifeless landscape. There was no sign of any life form whatsoever as many of the population had already jettisoned to the subterranean life pods to try to survive as their natural resources depleted more as each day passed. This was why the rulers of the world on the edge of demise were frantic to find another planet to habitate and had settled on Earth, with its seemingly limitless resources and clean environment. Truth was, that Earth at one time had been at the beginning of heading into the same ecological free fall as Spectra but scientific minds had come up with ways to preserve and replenish the many natural resources so the planet and its populace, thrived. This made Earth the prime target for Spectra, desperate to find a new source for their existence and so the spirit leader and puppet ruler, Zoltar set their cap for it. However, their attempts to conquer Earth were fruitless and each attempt to try to capture that ever elusive jewel was out of reach thanks to the Intergalactic Planetary Federation and specifically the courageous group of young orphans known as G Force.

_G Force _Zoltar sneered in undisguised hatred _the bane of my existence and perennial thorn in my side. How I truly despise those whelps!_

He stood and stared stonily out his viewer at his home planet's dank expanse, which even at the height of the Spectran day was dreary. He sighed as he pondered the last attempt to bring Earth under submission, the flower pods that could consume humans and had been successful including almost having driven the upstart brats of G Force to their knees by capturing the female known as Princess. But as was becoming the norm, G Force had managed to both rescue their comrade and thwart Spectra's plans as he, Zoltar once again retreated, his tail between his legs as they sought to annihilate him.

"One of these days," Zoltar promised as he slammed a fist on the communications panel in frustration. "I will make them pay and take the Earth as mine. Then I will be victorious and you, G Force will taste the bitter dregs of defeat."

**_Is that so, Zoltar? Really I am beginning to wonder _**the eerie detached voice of the spirit leader, referred to as the Luminous One echoed in the control room where the lanky Spectran stood. The viewer showed the ominous image of the metaphysical spirit ruler of the once thriving planet.

Immediately the haughty demeanor of the arrogant warlord morphed into one of obsequious humility as Zoltar addressed his leader. "Forgive me, oh Luminous One. I am truly sorry for the failure of the last mission, sire."

**_Save the apologies, Zoltar. They are but meaningless words that I've grown tired of hearing time and again._**

Zoltar had the decency to lower his head in shame. "You are right, of course, sire."

The Luminous One continued, **_and since I have no choice, I will give you yet another chance to redeem yourself. The Federation is developing an anti weapon of great power and quite invincible. It is not a mere shield but is designed to alter both molecular and atomic structure of all types of weapons rendering them useless. I feel it is imperative that Spectra should acquire this for our conquest of Earth and ultimately the universe._**

"I agree, sire. And if you'll leave it to me, I shall come up with a foolproof plan to gain this is anti weapon for us and to destroy G Force once and for all."

**_I would like to believe you Zoltar but you have not proven yourself to be reliable._**

"Just trust me, sire. This time we can be certain that we will achieve our objective and G Force will not prevent us this time."

**_Indeed?_** the Luminous One said dubiously **_And how do you intend to stop G Force when you have failed so miserably before?_**

Zoltar bristled at the stark truth but covered it up with bravado. "The last attempt on Earth netted me some very important data on G Force that can serve to be quite useful."

**_Spare me the details, Zoltar. Back up your words with action for my patience is growing thin. _**The viewer went blank as Zoltar heaved a sigh of relief. He then whirled to the communication panel and punched a button to summon a subordinate.

A green clad Spectran soldier hurried in and bowed. "Yes, sir."

"Fetch my sister. Tell her I need to meet with her at once!" he barked.

"Immediately, sir." The soldier leapt up to do as he was bade. . .

In a short time the door to the control room slid open and the tall form of Mala strode in to greet her brother. She tossed her long blonde mane as she addressed Zoltar.

"So dear brother, you summoned me for something important?" she inquired as she looked bored taking a seat.

Zoltar faced her, arms akimbo as he replied sarcastically, "So good of you to grace me with your presence, dear sister. How is the project coming?"

She sighed as she answered, "Slowly but quality takes time. I'd rather do a good job slowly and completely then do a job quickly and haphazardly."

"Your logic is admirable but unfortunately we do not have that luxury, Mala. The Luminous One is getting impatient, he wants to see results." Zoltar tossed his cape aside as he sat in the chair opposite his sister.

Mala leaned forward as she stated, "But I'm sure he wants results that are successful and so I am working so this project is successful."

"Very well, do you have something to show me?" Zoltar inquired irritably.

Mala smiled as she pushed a button on her brooch. The panel door slid open and a petite raven-haired girl entered, clad in a pair of pin striped jeans and a pink shirt with a "3" on it. She faced the Spectran siblings.

Zoltar shot to his feet as he pointed out, "The Swan! You've captured the girl Princess, the Swan of G-Force!" His eyes were wide with disbelief.

Mala threw her head back and chuckled as she assured him. "Not quite, my brother." She took Zoltar's arm and guided him to the girl. "Look closely"

Zoltar examined the girl intently, his eyes not missing a single minute detail. But it was evident to him after much study that the girl was not Princess at all. He turned and regarded his sister curiously.

"As the saying goes, not the actual thing but an incredible facsimile." Mala stepped back and folded her arms in smug satisfaction.

Zoltar nodded in bemusement as he asked, "How did you manage this, dear Mala?"

She preened as she replied, "The data we received from the failed Fierce Flowers mission proved quite helpful as we were able to get a DNA blueprint from the Swan to use as a foundation. And then I found a Galaxy Agent who was able to nearly match completely every physical and emotional aspect of the Swan. And this is the result."

"Extraordinary," Zoltar murmured. "Absolutely extraordinary." He chortled, "This time, dear sister I believe we finally have a way to destroy G-Force. The necessary action to ensure our success in conquering Earth. Let's dispatch her immediately!"

Mala shook her golden mane. "Patience my brother, patience. We still are working on copying the capabilities of G-Force so she won't draw any suspicion."

Zoltar huffed, "How soon can we have her completed? I have the spy chosen to infiltrate the Federation PAX project and he's ready to go. As I said before, the Luminous One is quite anxious. We must commence at once."

"Haste makes waste, brother dear. When everything is complete, it will be foolproof."

"Spare me the platitudes." Zoltar got up into his sister's face. "It had better be or you know what will happen."

She stared back unflinchingly. "I do."

There was a standoff between the siblings as the air was heavy with tension. Finally Zoltar stepped away as he remarked, "G-Force must be stopped at all costs for us to accomplish our goals. The time for action is now."

Mala laughed as she replied, "Not yet, my brother, but soon, I promise we will bring G-Force and the Federation to its knees."

Light years away, the shining prize that Spectra, Zoltar, and the Luminous One coveted the planet Earth was blithely proceeding in its existence. The Intergalactic Planetary Federation or the Federation as it was widely known was on the fringe of a golden era as it was completing the plan for what everyone was touting as the ultimate tool to assure peace throughout the universe. The Planetary Attack eXterminator project or PAX as it was code-named was the most innovative anti-weapon that mankind had ever seen. The press was in a frenzy, positively starving for information that was coming out in the tiniest of increments and they would pounce on each snippet like a pack of starving sharks allowing for speculation to run rampant in the public. The nucleus of people in on the knowledge and facts kept quiet by order of Federation President Kane were a chosen few and so the project would not be compromised, the rest of Federation staff was kept in the dark as well. Work on the project was progressing as the Federation kept a watchful eye on Spectra.

At the same time the space commando unit of the Federation known as G-Force was on a welcomed liberty as the continuous battles with Zoltar and Spectra were in a hiatus of sorts since the last defeat of the madman. The destruction of the killer Fierce Flowers that had spread like a plague across the planet and nearly killed Princess had made all battle weary and so Chief Anderson granted indefinite leaves. This particular day, Princess was alone in her loft over the Snack J, her friend Jill's popular diner as it was closed for renovations.

The sounds of the drills and muted conversations of the workmen drifted up the stairs to Princess's ears as she busied herself with washing the windows to burn off her nervous energy. Dressed in her grungiest clothes and with her abundant raven hair tied back, she attacked the grimy windows of her loft with as much energy as she would a Spectran goon. Since the entire circumstance with the Fierce Flowers, she was coping as well as she could but was still somewhat shaken. The plants had been defeated but not without having left their mark on the victims. Mostly female, some would never recover from the ordeal but due in part to her implant Princess had remarkable physical regenerative ability as well as a tremendous ability to recuperate emotionally, although her heart bore aches that were connected to the commander's reaction to her disappearance. Mark was stoic and duty-bound as always when they found and rescued her on Zoltar's ship but upon returning to Center Neptune, he had jettisoned and left them all, not even staying for debriefing with the chief. He had literally vanished. The chief was benevolent as he attributed Mark's attitude to the stress he had experienced during the entire time but Princess was put off and hurt by his withdrawal as during the briefing the chief granted them all a well deserved rest. At the conclusion of the meeting, Jason, Tiny, and Keyop all took off to start their vacations as Anderson detained the Swan.

**_Flashback:_**

_**The team was ready to disperse as Chief Anderson grasped Princess by the arm. He addressed the girl he loved like a daughter in concern.**_

_**"Princess, are you sure you're okay? You need to be checked out at the medical center as part of debriefing, you know."**_

_**"Chief, I'm fine," she reassured him in her soft alto voice. "I'm just worried about Mark, he left so abruptly and didn't even stay for debriefing."**_

_**Anderson pursed his lips and then said crisply, "I'm sure he's fine. He just needs to blow off some steam."**_

_**She regarded her superior strangely. "Blow off some steam? Are you sure he's all right?"**_

_**Anderson hesitated momentarily as he replied, "Uhhh sure." He then spoke with firm authority as he changed the subject. "Report to the medical center, Princess. That's an order." He turned away to dismiss her.**_

_**"Yes, sir," she replied as dismay flooded her along with the feeling that the chief was hiding something.**_

_**End flashback**_

Princess then thought about how she and Mark had finally begun to acknowledge their feelings for each other, in spite of their dedication to their roles in G Force. He had told her how he felt in a rather embarrassing encounter in Zark's control room. He then began to pursue a relationship with her when they were off duty so naturally she thought that her capture by the alien flowers would have made him react with joy when he saw that she was safe. But his attitude was controlled and neutral when she was rescued by Tiny and then when they returned to Center Neptune, he took off without a word making her feel rejected and confused as to where she stood.

Princess reached up and brushed a stray ink curl from her brow as the exertion of her task covered her forehead with a fine sheen of sweat. As she mulled over the events upon the team's return from her rescue, it appeared to her that they all were dealing with residual emotions as well but they were also keeping away from her. Keyop had even packed and left with Tiny as she slept, making sure he was gone before she got up. This gave her a feeling of isolation that had her questioning what she had done to cause them all to act so.

She sighed as she finished washing the windows, and took the bucket to the kitchen sink to dump the dirty water when her communicator went off, beeping for her attention.

"All right, all right," Princess said as she finished pouring the bucket into the sink and glanced at the bracelet. A thrill of ambivalence went through her as she noticed the color of the blinking light.

Each one of them had a different color light that would flash on their bracelets when contacting one another individually. Anderson's summons was bright white, Jason's was blue, Keyop's yellow, Tiny's green, her own pink, and Mark's red. The light was flashing red.

Princess took a deep breath as her heart pounded before she touched the light and drew her wrist to her mouth to speak.

"G3 here," she said coolly.

"Princess," Mark's resonant baritone spoke from the bracelet. He seemed hesitant as he continued, "How are you?"

"Well, if it isn't the Amazing Disappearing Commander," she replied acidly her anger simmering.

"I guess I deserve that."

"That and more. Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on and why you split from us as soon as we got back from the mission? As commander you owe me at least that."

She heard him take a deep breath. "I know I do and I will tell you. What are you doing now, are you at your pad?"

Princess sighed as she said, "Yeah, I'm here. Jill's started the renovating of the Snack J so it'll be closed for a while. And Keyop took off with Tiny, they left before I got up."

"Okay. I'll be right over. See you soon," the bracelet went silent.

Princess untied her hair and headed to her bedroom to change. She had a few things to say to her commander when he showed up and to be in control, she wanted to make sure she was clean and presentable. But try as she would, Princess could not shake the feeling that she would not like what Mark had to say. . . .

Meanwhile, Mark had jumped in his red convertible and began the drive from his airstrip to the Snack J, his own feelings warring within. He drove sedately to give himself time as he went over in his mind as what to say to Princess.

_Man, she sounds really pissed at me and with good reason. I didn't act very glad to see her safe and alive after those damned flowers had her and then after everything I split and say nothing. She probably wants my hide for that._

He stopped at a traffic light and his brooding continued _I'm really a jerk, I'm crazy about this girl and I can't face her and tell her what it meant for me to have to be in a position to have to sacrifice her life for the lives of everybody on earth. Then when I thought I killed her and those damned flowers kept growing that I wanted into crawl in a hole and die. That I felt I betrayed her and my heart had shattered into so many pieces, I thought it could never be whole again._

A horn tooted behind him as the light turned green so Mark waved at the person and accelerated ahead. He proceeded the drive to the Snack J, concentrating on the road as he brought his thoughts under submission. Soon he saw the strip mall with the unlit "J" in front, the parking lot empty. He turned into the lot and pulled up to the door.

Upstairs, Princess had just finished brushing her hair when she heard a car door slam and footsteps climbing up the back outside steps, then a knock on the back door. She quickly checked her appearance and then went to the door to open it.

Mark smiled, his guileless blue eyes pleading with her as he brushed a nervous hand through his long, unruly mahogany hair. "Hi Princess."

Princess's heart pounded as she was drawn into his cerulean orbs. She had to shake herself to resume her cool demeanor. "Hi Mark. Won't you come in?"

"Thanks" he stepped in as she backed up to let him by, closing the door. She then turned and followed him as he went into the loft.

"Would you like a drink or something?" she offered out of courtesy. He was, after all her commanding officer even if now they were off duty.

"No thanks." He took a seat on the sofa and patted the seat beside him. "Please come here, I want to talk to you."

Princess said nothing but sat primly on the chair across from the sofa and prepared herself for the worst. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

Mark sighed as he ran his hand through his hair again. "Look, I know you're pretty steamed at me and with good reason but please listen to my side, okay?"

She replied, "Like I said, Mark I'm listening."

He took a deep breath and then proceeded, "First, I want you to know how happy I am that you're all right. What did the medical report say?"

Princess said flatly, "Everything's fine. In case you didn't hear, the chief gave us all leaves until further notice so you can distance yourself from me like everybody else did and do your own thing." She got up to leave but he jumped up and got in front of her, grasping her by the arms.

"Prin wait, please," Mark beseeched, his eyes wide and working their spell on her. "You said you would hear me out so would you please?"

Princess was inexorably drawn into the vast blue expanse of his orbs, so much like the sky and she acquiesced, "All right, go on."

He smiled at her and led her to the sofa then took the seat right beside her. He continued, "When you were taken by those creepy flowers, we were frantic, searching for you everywhere. Keyop was almost hysterical because he watched as one of those things swallowed you."

"Then why did he pull a disappearing act now like you did?" she asked, tears stinging her forest green eyes. "All of you guys taking off has made me feel like it was my fault I was captured. If you'll remember, Anderson put me into the position to volunteer to be taken to see if we could find out about them. It was my duty."

Mark reached and with his fingers, gently brushed the rivulet away. "I know. But you don't know what happened after you were nabbed and you need to in order to understand why we're acting so strangely."

"I'm all ears," Princess said as she blinked back the unshed tears.

Mark went on, "After you had been taken, Anderson let us know that the flowers were threatening the world water supply and since the things thrived and spread after a heavy rain, we had no choice but to set them on fire and burn them."

"Burn them?"

"Uh-huh. Anderson had told us that I was to drop fuel on the flowers and we were to drop a bird missile on them, incinerating them and hopefully destroying them. We were all horrified because we hadn't found you yet but Anderson was firm, something had to be done. So after some thought I decided I had a duty to perform and I took off in my plane to do what he said."

Princess watched as the raw emotion flickered in Mark's pensive visage and the pain in his eyes as he remembered his state of mind at the time. "As I took off, all I could think of was you and your pretty face lit up with a smile as you laughed and called my name. My eyes filled with tears as I released the fuel on the flowers and then I planned to crash my plane and join you, the thought of living without you unacceptable."

"Oh Mark," she said softly as the tears returned to her viridian orbs. She reached for his hands, which had balled into fists as they rested on his knees. He went on, seemingly oblivious as he relived the nightmare.

"Just as I was about to crash my plane, Jason contacted me that he was ready to launch the bird missile and Tiny pulled the Phoenix up to catch me. Then Jason shot the missile and the entire field exploded into flame. We landed about a half a mile away and as I watched, my heart felt like it was ripped right from me and the only thing I kept repeating was it was to save the earth. But then something happened that really did me in."

"What?"

Mark gave a short bitter laugh. "The damned flowers were sending spores up into the air on the breeze the fire created, sending them straight up into the air to be carried worldwide. So my attempt to be a hero for earth backfired, and I ended up killing the girl I…," he hesitated as he gazed at her. "Love."

Princess was stunned silent by his revelation, her heart pounding so hard she felt he could hear it. She waited breathlessly as she sensed he had more and her instinct was correct as he continued.

"After that I didn't care about anything. My whole purpose for living was gone and I resented like hell the fact that I had to sacrifice you for the whole stinking earth. I began to think that I wanted out of G Force and all the pain and aggravation so I just cut myself off from everybody. I didn't even answer when Anderson called me."

Princess bit her lip as she stared at Mark who was ragged with emotion as he bared his soul before her. She was amazed by his even admitting all this and just kept listening.

He looked into her eyes and she saw his own tears as he resumed his tale. "I was alone wallowing in my misery when I heard your bird scramble and then I realized you were still alive. I felt like I was given a million dollars and I went to Anderson and told him I heard from you and we went out to find you had been captured by Zoltar so we monitored your bird scramble till we found you."

Princess said softly, "I knew if I kept sending bird scrambles you'd find me. I never lost faith." She smiled at him slightly then it faded as she asked, "But why did you avoid me after we came back. Especially after what you said to me in front of Zark, that really hurt, Mark." She lowered her head, her raven tresses veiling her face.

Mark sighed and he said, "I-I'm sorry, Prin. I just needed to be alone to pull myself together. I didn't want you to see how messed up I was." He reached and gently grasped her chin to raise her eyes to meet his. "By the time we got back to Center Neptune, I was hanging on by a thread. I know I should've been there for you babe, and I'm sorry, please forgive me?"

His eyes were earnest pools of azure as she saw the mighty Eagle humbly asking her to forgive him. Whatever hardness in her heart that had remained, melted away like ice in the summer sun. She threw her arms around him as he wrapped his around her in a tight embrace.

Princess murmured against Mark's broad shoulder, "Did you mean it? When you said you loved me?"

Mark pulled back as he brushed her hair back from her eyes. "Yeah, I meant it."

That was all she needed to hear as she buried her face in his chest. "I love you too, Mark, with all my heart. And I'm sorry for being so angry at you."

"I'm sorry," they said in unison as they pulled back to gaze at each other, both teary eyed as fences were mended. Mark then cradled Princess's face in his hands and drew her to him for a sweet kiss to seal it.

**NEXT-DUTY CALLS**


	2. DUTY CALLS

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait but life has become quite hectic with the holidays approaching. Here we have the beginning of the main plot and the introduction of the nefarious scheme of Spectra. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

DUTY CALLS

The indefinite leave or vacation for G Force was being completely relished by the team. Although they were to be alert to any summons on their bracelets, they just continued relaxing as they took full advantage of the rare time off. Tiny took off for the shore and his cruiser, left to him by his father, and he took Keyop with him, having built a bond with the youngster. Keyop returned the feelings, because of Tiny's way of making him feel special and in down times, they were inseparable. They were planning to do some deep sea fishing off the coast of Puget Sound.

Jason was pursuing his passion, racing as an independent touring in the western ARCA circuit of NASCAR, racing his G-2 stock racer and as usual, burning up the track and the competition, his aggressive style rubbing some the wrong way. His usual belligerent attitude did nothing to endear him to the officials and his many trips to the disciplinary trailer at the conclusion of races gave him the reputation of a bad boy, yet his talent behind the wheel was undeniable as his many wins proved. And as such, Jason never lacked female company at the conclusion of races and his little black book was filling up. He was reveling in his nouveau-riche like celebrity status and his accelerated social life, with plenty of dates to occupy him between races, not missing G-Force at all.

The two remaining members, Mark and Princess were staying close to Center Neptune, mostly because their outside occupations required they do so. Jill's Snack J was nearly complete in its renovations, so Princess was back to working on a part time basis, helping Jill to stock the new kitchen and do the final touches before the grand re-opening. Mark, on the other hand, was flying special forays, delivering mail to outlying rural towns in the mountains as well as an occasional courier assignment. But both had more than enough time to spend together and took advantage of every free moment to do so, now that things between them were patched up. So now given the opportunity, both G-1 and G-3 acted the part of normal teenagers in a steady dating relationship, doing the typical things like going to the movies, roller-skating, going dancing, and of course parking. They also went on motorcycle rides and flights together as they confided and shared secrets and dreams. As members of G Force, they also kept their physical abilities razor sharp as they worked out together at the Center Neptune gym, part of the Ready Room and on site quarters allotted to the team or they headed out to hike.

On this particular day, they were headed to the beach for some sun and fun as Mark was going to teach Princess how to body surf. He was in his swim trunks and waited on her sofa in her loft as she got ready, a packed picnic basket sitting on the table. The weather was spectacular and Mark was eager to get going, fighting becoming impatient.

He glanced at the clock on the refrigerator and called out, "C'mon Prin, if we don't get going, we'll lose the waves. It'll be low tide at noon."

"I'm coming," she called out from her room. "I just have to finish dressing."

Mark grinned as he contemplated the thought. "Need any help?" he said with a mischievous drawl.

She replied dryly, "No, I think I can handle it. I'm putting on my new bathing suit."

"You sure you don't need any help?" he asked as he was filled with anticipation. "Just say the word."

"Thanks but no thanks, commander." Princess responded as she came out, clad in her new suit, a scarlet bikini that complimented her coloring and showcased her exceptional figure. She was donning a terry beach coverall as Mark jumped to his feet, his cerulean eyes widening in sheer appreciation.

"Wow," was all he could manage. "You look out of sight."

She smiled shyly as she said, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Forget it, it was worth the wait." Mark reached for the picnic basket and wrapping an arm around her waist he said, "Let's split."

They headed to the stairs when the unmistakable beep of a communicator went off. Both Mark and Princess glanced at each other and then at their bracelets.

"Damn," Mark said. "I'm not even going to look at it."

Princess looked at her commander in awe. "I don't believe it. You, mister 'Duty Above All', going to ignore a call from our chief?"

Mark sighed, "C'mon, you know I wouldn't ever do that, Princess. But I've been really looking forward to going to the beach today. This has been a groovy vacation and I've really been digging having the time to just be with you. Contrary to popular belief I _am_ human."

The beeping continued as both stood mired in indecision until Princess relented and raised her arm to take a look. A summons from the chief was signified by the blink of a white light with a member's color. This one was white and pink.

"Yours or mine?" Mark asked.

"Mine," Princess said with a sigh as she spoke into the transmitter. "G-3 here."

"Princess, this is Chief Anderson. Where are you now?"

"At my place, Chief. I was just about to go out. What's up?"

Anderson's baritone spoke an apology, "Sorry to cut your vacation short but I need you for a very important project. How soon can you meet me in my office?"

"Well, Mark and I were about to go to the beach so I'll have to change."

"Is Mark there with you?"

Mark took hold of Princess's hand and held the communicator closer. "Yeah, Chief, I'm here. You want me there too?"

"Yes, Mark. Zark has given me some information from Susan out on planet Pluto and I need to share it with you."

All thoughts of fun now pushed aside, Mark replied dutifully, "We'll be right over." He gave her a look of regret as he said reluctantly, "I guess we can forget about surfing today."

"Uh-huh. Did you bring your clothes with you?" she asked.

"Yeah, in the car. You go get dressed and I'll go get mine so I can and then we'll go."

"Okay." She headed into her room as he took off down the stairs and headed to his car. _Damn, I wonder what Zoltar's got cooking for us this time _Mark asked himself, scowling. . . .

An hour later, Mark and Princess were in Chief Anderson's office and he again apologized for interrupting their fun as he began to fill them in on why he had called.

"Thanks for coming in you two. Princess, you've heard about the BE alert system the Federation just completed installing throughout the galaxy?"

She nodded, "Benevolent Eye is a state-of-the-art early warning system that works as a network to keep a watch on any activity from Spectra or any other hostile planet."

"Right. Well, the Federation has just completed developing an anti-weapon that is revolutionary and the product of fifteen years of testing and research." He reached for a set of plans and stack of photographs and then spread them out on his desk before G-1 and G-3.

"Now we have here the Planetary Attack eXterminator, or PAX, an anti-weapon that has remarkable capabilities to split the molecular structure and neutralize any destructive power of a conventional weapon or laser and the ability to pulverize any nuclear warhead before it can be detonated. It also can render harmless any weapon that uses natural elements such as light or heat. It is really quite a device and we feel it is the ultimate deterrent."

Both teens were wide eyed as they saw the plans and the photographs of the nearly finished product. Mark spoke up, "Chief, has the Federation built this as a final device or a prototype?"

Anderson replied, "The photos are of both. The prototype was tested before the final design went into production, about three years ago."

Mark and Princess exchanged looks as they passed photos back and forth between each other, impressed by what appeared to be a formidable device. The PAX anti-weapon was an enormous ray cannon that had several capabilities, from using electromagnetic impulses, to a powerful sonic wave, to a molecular splitter that used both heat and intense electrical currents. It was a most impressive device to be sure. It also had the ability to fire in a 360-degree radius, in all directions missing no threats approaching and had a range of approximately 1000 light years.

"Amazing," Mark said, awe evident in his voice. "Who came up with this?"

"Actually it was a collaborative effort. A team of scientists from here on Earth along with several other planets including our sister planet Riga all gathered together and formed a think tank of sorts to come up with something that could keep peace in the galaxy. So after about five years of intense study of Spectran technology, they all came up with this."

Princess shook her head incredulously. "It's really something."

Anderson nodded as he said, "Yes, and that's why I've contacted you, Princess. I need your expertise in computers to assist in the final phase of the completion. All computers must be reprogrammed to support the PAX device, and the software installed to interface with the PAX computer. Because you have the highest security clearance, you're to head this up here with the reprogramming of the master computer and then design software with tutorials that will be sent throughout the galaxy for our Federation allies and members to program their computers."

"But chief, suppose we have to leave on a mission? My first commitment is to G Force," she said frowning as Anderson pressed on.

"You are hereby granted leave from your G Force duties for the duration of this project. President Kane has ordered that the completion of PAX is top priority."

Mark frowned as he spoke up, "Chief, with all due respect, G Force is a team and we work together as a whole. With one of us missing, it leaves us lacking."

Anderson sighed as he said, "I am fully aware of that, Commander. This is a direct order from President Kane."

"Suppose Zoltar in his infinite viciousness decides to mount an offensive? He's been quiet since the flowers incident but his MO is usually to regroup and come against us again. I'm sure that's what he's planning." Mark was adamant but Anderson stood firm.

"Mark, I understand your reluctance. Believe me, I said as much to President Kane but he insisted, so I'm afraid my hands are tied." He went to the door and turned to the perplexed duo. "Excuse me for a moment," he said curtly and disappeared through the door.

Princess sided up to Mark and asked him, "Did the chief seem strange to you, Mark?" Her forest pool eyes were wide as she tried to get his feedback.

Mark was staring at the closed door with a slight scowl. "Yeah. He seemed like he was under duress. I guess Kane and the Federation really put the screws on him. So we have no choice but to go along with it. But I…,"

His thought was cut off by the door sliding open and Anderson returning followed by a young man with wiry, sandy curls and intensely piercing gray eyes that were pale, almost transparent. His ruggedly handsome face was arresting as he stopped beside Anderson to await his introduction.

"Commander, Princess, this is First Lieutenant Randolph Addison from the Federation special cybernetic engineering corps. He's an expert in programming and writing software programs and has been assigned to be your assistant in the project, Princess."

Princess just stared as she felt drawn into those magnetic orbs of the lieutenant as he reached and took her hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the infamous and lovely Swan of G Force." His voice was gravelly yet warm, causing a blush to stain her cheeks as Mark's even features darkened.

Anderson cleared his throat as he then said brusquely, "And this is the commander of G Force, the Eagle, Mark."

Lieutenant Addison released Princess's hand and took Mark's in a firm grip as he met the commander eye to eye. He shook the member as he said in cool politeness, "How do you do, Commander."

Hiding under the guise of cordiality, Mark saw an iciness in the eyes that were boring into him, freezing any warmth he might have had toward the lieutenant as he saw the subtle man-to-man challenge hidden beneath the polish of military protocol. He felt as if he were being sized up and in turn did his own mental evaluation and came to the conclusion that if necessary, he could take him. But there was something else that sent a familiar chill through him like he was facing a foe therefore, a silent gauntlet was tossed between the two young men.

"Likewise," Mark said, his own azure orbs hooded as he quashed his rising unease.

Anderson went on. "Now that you've met, I'd like you to take Lieutenant Addison around, Princess and show him the main computer room and Zark's control room. You both will start immediately by meeting with the PAX engineering team to get up to speed as far as comps and how the interfacing of the master and BE computers will be networked with PAX."

"Yes, sir." Lieutenant Addison saluted smartly and then took Princess by the elbow. "Lead the way, Princess, if I may call you that."

"Of course," she said as she glanced at Mark. "I'll see you later?"

"Count on it," he smiled at her as she went out the door with Addison and then his smile faded as Anderson addressed him.

"Commander, I called you here to discuss the latest report from our recognizance probes near Spectra. They and Susan out on Pluto have picked up some activity on the planet that bears watching."

Mark scowled as he said sourly, "Our good buddy Zoltar is at it again, huh?"

"No, that's what's really strange. All things on Spectra are quiet and show absolutely no indication of a conventional offensive being readied. However, strange impulses are being picked up by our probes that have us somewhat wary."

Mark snorted, "That's not such a bad idea. When it comes to Zoltar, these lulls usually turn out to be the proverbial calm before the storm."

"Right," Anderson agreed. "So I think it would be wise for you to gather the rest of the team and stay in your quarters on the premises. So get a hold of Jason, Tiny, and Keyop so you all can be here and ready to go, should the need arise."

Mark saluted, "Big ten, chief." He ran out the door and began to gather the troops.

* * *

Out on Spectra, Mala was leading Zoltar to a small enclosed area that looked down into what was a small, dark theater. She offered a seat to her brother as she acted the part of an emcee.

Zoltar was his usual impatient self. "Mala, I hope you have something useful to show me. We've wasted enough time and must launch our next offensive against Earth." He slouched in his chair in exasperation, arms folded.

"I'm aware of that, dear brother," Mala purred as she stood at the observation screen. "Just look down, the show is about to begin."

As if on cue, the lights dimmed and the theater lit up to reveal a slender figure, clad in the garb of the G Force Swan standing center stage as Zoltar sat up in renewed interest.

"Quite remarkable, sister," he commented as Mala pointed to the figure.

"Just keep watching, my brother."

The Swan duplicate was then attacked by several Spectran soldiers, guns blazing as she leapt about, dodging the fire and dispatching the grunts with expert martial arts moves and agile motion. She then retaliated with a toss of her yo-yo explosive, which flattened the second wave coming at her.

"Excellent!" Zoltar crowed as he clapped his hands.

"Hold your applause, Zoltar," Mala said. Now comes the piece de resistance."

The pseudo Swan then raised her left arm and pulled it down at a 90 degree angle as she said "Transmute!" and a flash of light enveloped her for a split second and then a slender raven haired girl clad in a numbered T-shirt and pinstriped jeans stood before them.

"Marvelous, absolutely priceless, my dear sister," Zoltar lauded. "She's an absolute mirror image of the Swan."

And that's not all, she is expert in demolition, explosives and computers, just as the real Swan is. I've programmed our operative to be the exact copy so she would be identical to the girl Princess." Mala said as she smiled in satisfaction.

"Well done, Mala. So let's get her dispatched immediately."

"At once, dear brother."

NEXT---SUSPICIOUS MIND


	3. SUSPICIOUS MIND

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter with my sincere apologies for the length between updates. Between work, the holiday activities and the dreaded writer's block, I had a hard time. Plus, I'm working on four stories simultaneously. I noticed a huge hole in my synopsis for this chapter so this is longer than usual but it has flow and continuity so I'm satisfied, I hope you are as well. BTW I used the Battle of the Planets Guidebook character profiles to describe their skills to keep as close to canon as possible.

SUSPICIOUS MIND

At Center Neptune the Federation's home base, the installation was made up of several areas for the staff and galactic military force including training areas, barracks, mess, computer control room, weapons cache and test module, and administrative suites. Also being the home base for G-Force, it had a special section that included a completely outfitted gym for combat training, private individual quarters, and a recreation/waiting area commonly known as the Ready Room. The Ready Room was a large open area that adjoined the private quarters of G-Force, surrounded by windows that looked out into the beauty of the ocean depths. It was also equipped with a comfortable sofa and chairs, ping pong table, television with VCR/DVD and many video games, a fully stocked kitchen with a large supply of Tiny's favorite food, Space Burgers and an amplified electric guitar with drums for Princess and Keyop. This day, the Ready Room was dim and deserted, save for one lone figure in the shadows standing at the window and staring out at a passing school of brightly colored flounder, brooding.

The massive upgrading to link all the computers to PAX had begun and it was a task of monumental proportions. Code-named Operation PAX On Earth, the first part was to reprogram and reconfigure the huge main frame on Earth to link it to the anti weapon master computer, installing special processors that were designed for the transfer of data specifically for the linkup. After that would be completed, then the difficult task to write the software to enable the master computer network that would complete the grid that would allow each planet in the Federation to operate the PAX anti weapon within their BE computer.

Mark sighed as he thought about the project underway and the toll it was already taking on his team. The other members had responded promptly to his summons and all promised to report to Center Neptune, with Jason, as usual giving the most energetic protest as he was entered in another race and had to drop out. They all joined him last night in a late meeting with Chief Anderson who brought them all up to speed and informed them of the suspicious impulses coming from Spectra. He also informed them of Princess's other duties and they were as dismayed about the prospect of facing Spectra without her as he had been. But the chief held firm, stating Princess's expertise in the field of computers had made her tailor-made for the job so they all accepted his directive.

**_Flashback: _**

"All right team, there's the circumstances. Until further notice, you all are on Level 2 Alert which as you know, means that you are to be on alert but are not required to stay here at Center Neptune all though it is preferable that you do in the event the alert is upgraded to Level 1. Check into the Phoenix and make sure she's ready as well. Any questions?" Anderson sat and waited as his G-Force team digested all they were told.

"Brrrrp—where's Princess?" Keyop wanted to know. Ever since joining the team, he had looked at Princess as a big sister and he immediately noticed that she was missing from the meeting.

Chief Anderson replied, "She's fine, Keyop. Don't worry."

"So where is she?" Jason inquired.

Anderson responded curtly, "She's on a special assignment for the Federation working on the PAX project working on the computer and has been excused from G-Force until she's done."

Jason, Tiny and Keyop all gaped at the chief while Mark stood there with his arms folded. Jason spoke up in irked curiosity.

"So what if Zoltar and the happiness boys from Spectra attack? We need her with us, especially if we need to use the Fiery Phoenix, you know."

Anderson snapped, "I'm fully aware of that, Jason. Her assignment to PAX was directly from President Kane so that is the way it is. You can all go until further notice." He brusquely dismissed the team, turning his back toward them.

Mark regarded all with a steady azure look and tossing his head, indicated that they leave. The trio took the hint and followed him out. Once outside, they all descended on him for details but he was just as close-mouthed so they gave up and headed off muttering among themselves.

End flashback

Mark scowled as he pondered about the last few days. Ever since Princess was assigned to Operation PAX On Earth, she had plunged right in with her usual conscientiousness, immersing herself in the project so that she was oblivious to anything else. He was deeply worried about her neglecting her basic needs like food and sleep and sending herself into mental exhaustion but he was also concerned about the way her rare down time seemed to be occupied with the Federation lieutenant Addison. It was apparent that the lieutenant intended to monopolize all of Princess's attention, even making sure they worked into the wee hours and even creating excuses to spend all of his time with her. Mark found that was really annoying him and was getting increasingly more difficult to hold his tongue and his temper about the situation.

The panel door slid open and Jason the Condor, Tiny the Owl, and Keyop the Sparrow of G-Force filed in. They spied the tall figure of Mark at the window and Jason reached over to flip the light switch, illuminating the room.

"And then there was light," the Condor quipped as he and the others came forward. "What are you doing here in the dark?"

"Never mind that, you three all set?" Mark said still facing the window.

"All present and accounted for, commander," he announced as Mark turned around to greet them.

"Okay." The Eagle's expression was inscrutable as he regarded the trio. "So tell me just what the hell took so long? Checking out the Phoenix and your vehicles wouldn't have taken that long" he demanded. Tiny and Keyop both eyed their commander in surprise at his bad humor, so unlike him.

Jason held up a placating hand. "Hey take it easy, Fearless Leader. We were all at the Phoenix, making sure she was battle ready, like the chief asked and it took a little longer than we thought it would."

Mark sighed as he said apologetically, "I'm sorry, team. I'm just worried about what Zoltar might be planning. He's more quiet than usual and that has me concerned."

Tiny patted Mark on the shoulder. "It's okay, commander. We know you feel like we're not ready with Princess working on that other project."

"Rrrrr—bpp don't like it," Keyop said scowling, his arms folded and chin jutted out. "Never get to see her. She came home last night and went—brrrp---right to bed. Didn't even ask—brrp—about my fishing trip." He pouted in irritation.

Mark ruffled the boy's unruly head. "I know, Keyop. But what she's doing is important for the safety of the entire galaxy," he said with a reasonability that he did not feel.

But Jason was not convinced. "Yeah, but what she does to contribute to G-Force is important to the galaxy, too."

Mark sighed again as the team's frustration was just intensifying his own. But as commander, it was his job to be the glue that kept them all from falling apart. So he began his task of rallying the troops.

"Listen up, guys. I feel the same way you all do about Princess not being with us if Zoltar rears his ugly head but President Kane has requested that she accomplish this task. And yes, I don't like it any more than you all but we have to obey the orders of the President. So we have to make the best of it."

"Got it, Chief," Tiny said. He turned to Keyop and suggested, "Hey let's go to the kitchen and get some Space Burgers, I'm hungry."

Keyop scoffed, "Brrrp—always hungry," but he followed Tiny into the kitchen.

Jason watched them and chuckled then noticed Mark had turned back to stare out at the streaming underwater life that endlessly drifted past the window. He went over and stood beside the Eagle also watching and then spoke.

"She'll be okay, buddy. You know Princess, like you she's so gung-ho about everything. But that's probably why the two of you are so tight."

"Thanks Jason." Mark was appreciative but then sighed as he continued, "But it's not just that I'm worried about Princess. Zoltar's been keeping way to low a profile for my liking. He's got something big in the hopper I'm sure."

A scowl darkened Jason's sapphire eyes as he muttered, "Yeah, I hear ya. I'm waiting for that scum to lay something huge on us too. It's not like him to stay away this long."

"Hmmm," Mark agreed as both continued to stare out at the ocean life. . .

Over in the master computer terminal, the gigantic mainframe that was the brain for the entire network of the Federation computers that were responsible for communications, weapon operation, and the galaxy-wide early warning system, the Benevolent Eye stood. The entire system was made up of numerous unmanned satellites and probes that patrolled the far reaches of the universe, including the Crab Nebulae where Earth's archenemy Spectra was found. Activity from that rancorous planet was immediately transmitted to Susan at the EWS on planet Pluto who relayed the information to 7 Zark 7, in the Control Room. The information was then sent to Chief Anderson, and also entered into the mainframe for planning defense strategy and devising tactics. It was then up to G-Force to intercept the threat.

Princess and Lieutenant Addison were at the mainframe busily uninstalling the first of its processors. The plan was to do this one at a time as the computer itself was on backup safe mode to keep functioning. A new component, one of several chips was to be installed and then the processor would be reinstalled and programmed. At the completion of that part of the project, tutorial software would be created to train the engineers on each planet of the Federation in the operation of PAX through their own main computers. It was a daunting task as snafus would come up in programming the new chips to interact with the existing ones. The duo was dealing with such a problem at the time.

Princess stepped back after making the umpteenth adjustment and sat at the keyboard terminal, tapping in commands to start the new hardware. The monitor brought up a schematic and once again, the area with the new hardware blinked with an error message.

"Dammit!" she expostulated. "When are we going to get this stupid thing working? It's so frustrating and we just started!" She leaned back in the chair and ran a weary hand through her raven locks.

Randolph Addison, AKA Randy chuckled as he responded amiably, "Chill out, Princess. We will, it's just a matter of time so relax."

Princess looked at him askance. "Easy for you to say. I don't have all the time in the world to do this, I have other duties to perform."

He came over and sat on the edge of the terminal. "I thought that you were excused from G-Force for the duration of this project," he wanted to know as his silver gaze pinned her.

She felt unnerved by his penetrating orbs as she replied, "I am. But I'm also a part of G-Force and would feel like a traitor if they went into battle with Zoltar without me."

Randy smiled as he remarked, "You really are loyal aren't you?"

"I have to be," Princess said, turning away from his gaze. "I'm a part of the team and that won't change. I'll always do my part for the team and Earth."

Randy reached a hand to brush a stray strand from her eyes. "You're something else, you know that? Loyalty, brains and beauty, what a combination."

Princess was getting uncomfortable as she slid her seat back and stammered, "Uhh, l-let's get back to work, we need to get this processor up and running." She got up but Randy grasped her shoulders.

"Look Princess, we've been at this for nearly eight hours. We need a break so why don't we go grab a bite?"

She turned back to the computer. "You go ahead, I'm not hungry," Princess insisted and waved him off but Randy was adamant, grabbing her arm.

"No way, pretty lady. You need sustenance and to get away from this thing, we both do. So c'mon let's go," Randy said, practically dragging her to her feet. With no other alternative, Princess sighed and followed as he headed for the mess area.

After they finished eating, Randy and Princess were leaving the area and she stopped, her attention on the Level 2 Alert signs along the corridor flashing orange. She knew that signified that G-Force was also on alert, and probably in the Ready Room. She thought about the team, missing them and an idea came to her. "You go on ahead, Randy. I'm heading down to the Ready Room."

Randy's curiosity was piqued. "The Ready Room?"

She nodded, "Uh-huh. It's where G-Force is quartered when there's a top echelon alert, either Level 1 or Level 2. Since we're on a Level 2 Alert, I'm sure the team's in there. I'm going to go there and say hello." Before he could say a word she took off down the hall and he hurried after her. . . .

Over in the Ready Room, the boys were in there, ready to depart should they be summoned. So to pass the time, they were amusing themselves in various ways. Tiny was in his favorite recliner, consuming his standby Space Burgers, Mark and Jason were at the ping pong table having yet another tournament, and Keyop was on the bandstand practicing his drums.

Jason responded in the volley, smashing a return that was short but easy to parry but Mark missed the shot, his concentration severely lacking.

"Match and point, buddy. That's ten straight matches I've won," Jason announced smugly as Mark slammed the paddle on the table, annoyed with eyes dark and flashing.

Jason examined the stormy countenance of his commander and although knowing Mark's penchant for keeping his feelings to himself, threw caution into the wind and continued confronting him. "Hey Fearless Leader, what gives? You're not your usual cutthroat self when we play, you've made some pretty bonehead shots."

Mark glowered at him. "Yeah, so what? You won so hurray for you. Sorry I'm fresh out of balloons and confetti." He whirled from the ping pong table and headed to his regular place by the window to watch the fish and brood.

Jason sighed as Tiny and Keyop both looked over at him inquiringly as if to ask the same. He returned the glance and shrugged then went over to Mark's side.

"Look, man we're all going a bit stir crazy cooped up here but you don't have to fly off the handle at us. We're all in the same boat, take it easy."

Mark opened his mouth to retort but closed it and sighed as he apologized, "I'm sorry, Jason. You're right, we are all in the same boat and I shouldn't be taking out my frustration on you." He scowled darkly as he stared at the perpetually moving sea life.

But Jason knew what was really bothering his commander. "I know what's eating you. It's Princess, right?"

Mark glared a warning at Jason and glanced quickly at Keyop to see if he was listening. Since Princess's advent into the project, the youngest member of G-Force was the most vocal about her absence, missing his surrogate big sister terribly. As the leader, Mark would offer encouragement to the dismayed boy. But it was getting harder for him to act as cheerleader when he himself was getting anxious about not seeing her so he decided to not even mention her.

He tossed his head to a corner furthest away from where Tiny and Keyop were chatting and Jason followed him as he led the way.

"It's not about Princess. I'm sure that Zoltar is getting ready to try his next move against us," Mark said, sotto voce. "And I don't like the idea of us being one down."

Jason shook his head. "Uh-uh, don't put me on, Mark. I know there's more than you're letting on. So fess up."

Mark glared at him and said in his best team commander voice, "You heard what I said, Jason." And he strode off leaving his second smirking after him _yeah sure, Skipper. You can't fool me, you're more uptight than usual and there's a reason for it, her name is Princess. But I won't push._

Both Tiny and Keyop noticed the slightly agitated state of the usually cool-as-a-cucumber Eagle and instinctively knew that he was bugged. But neither felt impelled to trespass into Mark's private thoughts and run the risk of him losing his temper. The commander had a high boiling point but on the rare occasions he reached it, it was not pretty. So both exchanged glances and resumed their discussion about the best places to catch swordfish.

Mark sat down and took a deep breath to collect himself and gave himself a reminder _you'd better cool it, pal. You're the commander and it's your job to be the calmer head that prevails to guide the others. So you'd better get a hold of yourself and put your personal feelings aside. _

Jason came over to Mark and Mark shot him a look that said _I appreciate your concern, but back off _in the depths of his cold blue eyes so Jason just sighed as he attempted to make neutral conversation.

"This is so boring. I hate Level 2 Alerts, its like we gotta sit around on our asses and do nothing."

"Can't be helped," Mark grunted. "We need to be here." Unnoticed by any of G-Force, the door slid open and the slender form of the Swan silhouetted in the doorway.

"I'm glad you all _are_ here," her dulcet voice said as Princess came into the room with a smile.

"Brrrp Princess!" Keyop cried happily as he flew from his perch on the bandstand and tackled her, nearly knocking her to the floor as he plastered himself to her waist.

"Ohhh," she gasped at the enthusiastic greeting. "Easy Keyop. I can't breathe." She giggled in delight as he continued to maul her and the rest of the boys jumped up to greet her.

Tiny said jovially, "It's great to see ya, Princess."

"Hello there, stranger," Jason said with a smirk. "Long time no see."

"Hi Jason. I heard you were burning up the tracks up and down the West Coast," she remarked, one slim ebony brow arched. "And the night clubs as well."

Jason's face screwed into a comically aghast expression at her tabloid observation. "Why Princess I had no idea that you read _the National Inquisitor._" He clicked his tongue in mock dismay.

Princess tittered at the shared sarcasm as her verdant gaze rested on her commander. As if on cue, Keyop disentangled himself and with Tiny and Jason stepped back and headed off to the far end of the Ready Room, giving the Eagle and Swan their privacy.

Her heart pounding as it always did when she approached him, Princess lowered her head demurely as she said softly, "Hi Mark."

Mark's azure orbs, so glacial before warmed up like a midsummer sky. "Hi Princess. How ya doin'?

"Okay, I guess. I took a break and saw the Level 2 Alert so I decided to come and see you guys." She came within inches of him and added in a murmur, "I really miss you."

"Same here," he answered huskily. He reached for her hand and said, "C'mon." He took her over to an alcove, which served as a small closet, not completely closed off but more private than the rest of the room. There, Mark took his hands and grasped Princess by the elbows and ran them up her arms to rest them on her shoulders then cupped her face to draw her to him for a lingering kiss. Her arms snaked around him as she responded eagerly.

After several minutes they broke apart and Princess said in satisfaction, "Hmmm. I've really been missing that."

He gave her a wicked grin as he said, "Well, there's more where that came from." And he leaned in to capture her lips again, which she fully reciprocated as the passion rushed through them both like a flood.

When they finally parted Mark gazed deeply into her eyes and noticed the circles under them, showing the strain she was under so he became immediately concerned. "Are you okay? You look really wiped." He brushed her hair out of her eyes as she lowered her head.

"I'm okay, don't worry. I just had a terrible time with an installation at Mainframe 002 and it was driving me bananas." She leaned in and Mark wrapped his muscular arms about her protectively as he continued his observation.

"Still, you look really stressed out, baby. Are you eating properly?"

"She's eating just fine, I make sure of that," a gravelly baritone sounded, startling the couple as they both turned to see who intruded on their privacy. Leaning against the doorway with his arms folded was the cocky Federation lieutenant. His silver eyes narrowed and smirking he said, "Gee, I hope I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Thoroughly annoyed, Mark opened his mouth to retort, "If you must know--," but Princess cut him off.

"What are you doing here, Randy? I told you I was coming here for a while and then I'd be back. So why'd you follow me?" Her eyes were stormy green pools as she remained locked in Mark's embrace.

Randy backed up, both hands up in surrender. "Whoa, take it easy, huh. I was just getting you because I think I figured out why the processor won't acknowledge the chip and I thought of a way to bypass the security circuit so the chip will be accepted."

"You're putting me on," Princess said in amazement. She pulled out of Mark's arms much to his disappointment and came to Randy. "I've been trying to do that since we started, how'd you do it?"

He glanced at Mark meaningfully and said, "It's kinda top secret, something I learned in my training in the cyber corps."

Princess glanced at Mark and seeing Randy's insinuation said a bit irked, "Everyone here on G-Force has top security clearance. I'm sure you could share it with all of us here."

"Share what?" Jason asked as he, Tiny and Keyop came over from the far end of the Ready Room. He stood with arms akimbo as he glanced boldly up and down at Randy. "And who's this?"

Randy returned the stare as he replied, "First Lieutenant Randolph Addison, CE corps." He saluted as he said, "Condor Jason, right?"

"Among other things," the Condor quipped as he casually returned the salute.

"So I heard." Randy then turned to Tiny and said, "Hey there big guy. You're the Owl and pilot of the Phoenix."

"Yeah," Tiny said. "So you know about me, huh?"

Randy replied, "I know all about G-Force and the Phoenix is legendary. You've got quite a rep with the space pilots and fly boys at the Federation Academy." He turned and glanced at Mark and added a bit grudgingly, "So do you."

"I graduated from the Academy about two years ago," Mark stated as he came to stand by Princess, his expression hooded.

"Yeah, I know. You graduated first in your class and got the highest score on the written exam in the entire history of the Academy. And you won all the hops and the trophy, scoring the highest number of hits."

"Boy," Jason said with a sardonic grin. "You're a veritable fountain of information, aren't ya?"

"And you're a crack marksman with uncanny accuracy in your shooting besides being a top notch racer," Randy recounted. "A lot of the guys in the Federation motor pool are wannabe racecar drivers and wish they could drive the G-2. I hear it's a pretty sweet machine."

"That's putting it mildly," Jason said, pride ringing in his tenor voice. "Maybe I'll show her to ya sometime."

"Hmmph!" Keyop sniffed, arms folded over his chest. "Brrrp big shot."

Randy grinned at the diminutive space fighter. "And I heard you pack a pretty mean wallop for such a little guy, with advanced black belts in all the martial arts."

Keyop grinned in pleased pride. "Brrrp---it's true. Can handle anything---brrrp--- thrown at me." He held up his right arm and flexed his muscle to prove the point while everyone chuckled at the youth's irascibility.

The wrist communicators all started beeping with the white light flashing in rapid succession, indicating an urgent summons by Chief Anderson. Mark answered for the team.

"G-1 here, chief. What's up?"

Anderson's voice crackled, "Commander, I need you and the team in my office on the double. I'll explain everything when you all get here."

"You heard him team. Let's move out," Mark directed as Jason, Tiny, and Keyop took off through the door, heading for Anderson's office. Before he followed, he turned to address Princess but became irritated when he noticed Randy had taken her aside and they were in deep conversation, his hand on her shoulder. He wanted to approach them and find out what was so scintillating but duty called and so with a backward glare at Randy, Mark took off after the team.

NEXT---TROUBLE ON THE WAY


	4. TROUBLE ON THE WAY

Author's Note: Here's where the plot takes off. Thanks to the readers and reviewers, I'm trying to stay as close to canon in my characterizations as possible so don't be upset by the scene in the mess hall.

TROUBLE ON THE WAY

As the rest of G-Force responded to the Chief's summons, Randy took hold of Princess's arm and urged, "C'mon. Let's go grab a bite, huh?"

"Go ahead without me."

The lieutenant was insistent. "Come on, let's go."

She wrenched her arm away and snapped, "I'm staying here till the team comes back."

Randy frowned then covered his annoyance with a smile. "But you took a detour and came here before we got to eat. You must still be hungry, Princess. I know I am."

"Then go ahead. Knock yourself out." She punctuated her statement by sitting on an easy chair, folding her arms obstinately. The Swan was determined to remain in the Ready Room and had no intention of budging.

"So you're staying here?"

"Uh-huh."

Randy sighed as he said resignedly, "Okay. But you really do need to eat, you know. And we do have to get back to work."

Princess sighed as she said, "I'm well aware of that. But I'm staying here to see what the summons from Chief Anderson was all about. Special project aside, I am still a member of G-Force. And," she added, pinning him with her direct verdant orbs, " I'd rather wait alone."

"Well, I don't need a house to fall on me." Getting her message, Randy gave a salute. "I read you loud and clear, ma'am. I'll see you back at the computer room." And he smartly did an about face and marched out of the Ready Room.

_Thank goodness Princess said to herself. I'm glad he took the hint._ She bit her lip as she pondered_ I wonder what Zoltar might be planning. . ._

At the same time in outer space, a sinister vessel known as the Devil Star that resembled a saw bit left the tainted atmosphere of Spectra, spinning as it headed into warp drive, speeding through light years in a matter of hours. Soon it was at the edge of the solar system, racing past the planet Pluto.

Inside the craft, Mala stood as two Spectra soldiers manned the controls and she asked, "How soon before we reach the Earth's atmosphere?"

"We should be there in about three Earth days, ma'am," the navigator replied obediently.

Mala smiled in satisfaction then inquired, "Is the scrambler activated?"

"Since we left Spectra, Madam Mala."

"Excellent. Our plan is going along without any problem. Let me know when we reach Earth."

"Yes, ma'am."

Mala reached over and picked up a duel action microphone to speak into. "Attention Agent 666. Rendezvous to take place in three days at 0200 hours. Prepare for arrival." Upon receiving her answer, Mala signed off and replaced the mike, then turned to the other figure seated to the far end of the communication panel. She addressed the female seated there.

"Get prepared. Your mission commences in three days."

The petite young woman in G-Force birdstyle nodded as she responded, "I am ready. . . "

In Chief Anderson's office, the Chief stood behind his desk and addressed the four youths standing at attention.

"Team, I called you here because I got an urgent message from Zark. Susan at the EWS on Pluto has picked up a suspicious blip on the radar, coming from the direction of the Crab Nebula."

"I knew it!" Jason exclaimed. "Zoltar and his goon squad must be heading our way to try to invade Earth again! So what are we waiting for?" He turned to race off but the chief's voice halted his departure.

"Take it easy, Jason. The blip on the radar was there briefly, then disappeared and has not returned. But Susan felt it pertinent to inform us in the event it turns out to be Spectra."

"She wasn't sure?" Mark asked.

Anderson shook his head. "The blip didn't remain long enough to register. But I think it would be prudent for us to remain on alert. So until further notice, you will all still remain here at Center Neptune and be ready for immediate departure."

"Yes sir." All four G-Force members saluted smartly and stepped back in formation, turned and exited but Mark who remained at attention before the Chief. He frowned as he voiced his concern.

"Begging your pardon Chief, but in the event that we are dispatched on a mission against Zoltar, would Princess be joining us? After all, she is a vital part of G-Force and I'm reluctant to leave on a mission without her."

Anderson sighed, "I am aware of her importance to the team, Commander. But as I explained at the start, it is by President Kane's executive order that she accomplish the installation of the computer upgrades vital to PAX." At the commander's displeasure shown in a dark scowl, Anderson came to the young man and placed a hand on his broad shoulder.

"Mark, I don't like it any more than you do but my hands are tied."

Mark grunted as he said cryptically, "Yes, sir." He whirled and exited. . . .

Back in the Ready Room Princess stood by the window and watched as a school of striped fish drifted by in the ocean tableau, actually wishing she could trade places with the underwater life. She envied them that their only concern was to keep sustained and away from the occasional predator whereas she was feeling torn in opposite directions, her loyalty strained by her assignment to complete the final installation of PAX and her duties to G-Force. Her heart was with the latter as she yearned to be with her teammates, ready to battle the next attack of Spectra.

A commotion down the hall heralded the arrival of the rest of the team as Princess heard Jason's tenor scoffing at some comment Tiny made. The tail end of the conversation could be heard as they entered the Ready Room.

"…I'm tellin' ya, Jason, I agree with the way the Chief's handling this. We don't know if that blip _was_ a ship from Spectra."

The Condor snorted, "Yeah right. And the earth is the center of the universe. Sorry bud, but I can't believe that that lowlife Zoltar ain't plannin' to lower the boom on us. He's lulling us into a sense of false security by stayin' quiet all this time."

"Brrp—can't go off half cocked. Brrp—need to be sure," Keyop piped in.

"I agree with Keyop," Princess said softly as the boys all turned abruptly to see her.

"Princess! You're—brrup--still here," Keyop shouted joyfully as he raced forward to plaster himself to the girl he looked upon as his big sister. "Brrrp—miss you so much!"

She returned the embrace as she said, "I miss you too." She looked up at Tiny and Jason and added, "All of you."

"I hope you've included me in there," a deep voice sounded from the entrance as Mark joined the gathering striding over to where the team was huddled, Keyop still attached to Princess not wanting to let go.

She gazed at the commander over Keyop's head then blushed and said demurely, "Of course." Soft forest green met cerulean in understanding as the wordless message was passed from the Swan to the Eagle.

Always the direct one Jason said, "Yeah, that goes without saying, huh guys? But really, Princess, how'd you manage to still be here? Did you get time off for good behavior?"

Princess made an unladylike snort. "I gave myself time off. Besides I wanted to know what the Chief had to say. I am still a member of G-Force, aren't I?"

"Absolutely," Mark assured her. "Susan out at the EWS on Pluto picked up a strange blip on the radar coming from the Crab Nebula so she immediately sent word to Zark about Spectra."

"Yeah," Jason added. "Nothing's etched in stone but he told us to stay here on alert."

"I knew it!" she said. "I just knew that Zoltar would attack while I was busy with PAX. Mark, did the Chief say I could join you if Zoltar attacks?"

Mark gazed at her, regret in his azure orbs. "Sorry Princess, but the Chief said that your first priority is to finish PAX." At her crestfallen expression, he placed a hand on her shoulder and added softly, "I hate the idea too, honey."

Princess sighed deeply as she said in resignation, "Well I guess that's it then." She extricated herself from Keyop's bear hug much to the boy's disappointment. With another sigh, she made her way to the door and said dejectedly, "I'd better leave."

"Yeah," Mark said as downtrodden as the Swan. Then he brightened up as he said, "Hey we both have to eat, why don't we just head to the main mess and grab a bite?"

Princess smiled but she shook her head. "Not now but I have an idea. The mess is open 24/7 so why don't I meet you down there later? It'll be after the dinner rush and we can be alone."

"Hmmm, I like that idea," the Eagle said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Okay, just summon me on the bracelet when you're ready to leave and I'll meet you there." He grasped her shoulders and leaned in to give her a kiss. "See ya then."

"Okay." She left with a smile, looking forward to seeing him alone again. . .

Later, Mark was watching a martial arts video with the other guys, pretending to be interested in the ninja battle taking place between the heroes of the story and the yakuza when his bracelet flashed pink. He grinned as he said to his comrades.

"Sorry guys, that's for me. I gotta split."

"Yeah, sure," Jason responded with a smirk, knowing full well where his commander was off to. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Huh?" Tiny said, totally engrossed in the movie. Keyop said nothing, eyes glued to the screen.

"Never," Mark promised. "Later." And he was gone.

"I wonder where he's going," the Owl inquired densely, his mind still on the movie.

The Condor scoffed, "Where do ya think?"

Tiny looked blank as he said, "I dunno, but my bracelet didn't go off."

Jason rolled his eyes and replied, "Just watch the flick." _Have a good time, Skipper_ he said to himself as he gave a salute to where Mark had just departed. . . .

On the third level, above the Ready Room and G-Force headquarters, the Main Mess Hall was located to feed the several hundred staff, personnel, and Federation officers that either lived or worked at the Galaxy defense facility. It was manned 16 hours a day, serving three square hot meals a day but was open all 24 hours providing nourishment for all in heated glass cases. Trays, napkins and utensils were available just to the beginning of the cases. It was like a cafeteria, with tables and chairs throughout as well as a place to clean up after eating.

Mark entered the nearly deserted mess area and scanned the perimeter, looking for a raven head with a pink T-shirt. He was rewarded when he spotted Princess in a far corner, partially obscured by a support beam, affording it a modicum of privacy. The table had two trays bearing cheeseburgers on it waiting and two Cokes. He grinned as he secretly applauded her penchant to cover every detail and made his way over to her.

"Hi," he said, sliding into the seat opposite her leaning in for a kiss.

"Hi," she replied reciprocating. "I picked this time to come here 'cause nobody's here."

"Good idea," Mark approved with soft eyes as he reached for her hands. "So how's it going?"

Princess sighed a bit wearily as she answered, "It's going. I just told Randy I needed a break and so I took off before he could ask me where I was going."

"Good," Mark grunted. "He seems to like hanging around you a lot, even when you're not working together. I mean, he followed you all the way down to the Ready Room earlier." He leaned back, releasing her hands and asked a bit snidely, " Does he follow you when you have to go to the ladies' room too?"

Princess blanched a bit at his inquiry. "Mark!" she admonished, a blush staining her ivory cheeks.

The Eagle had the grace to be sheepish. "Okay, that was out of line and I'm sorry. But the guy gets under my skin. If we weren't confined to Center Neptune because of the alert, I'd never get a chance to see you."

"You're exaggerating."

"No I'm not," Mark insisted. "Tell the truth, Princess. When you guys started, you never took a break and when you did, Addison was with you constantly. Can't you see the guy's on the make?"

She smiled as she pointed out, "You're jealous."

The G-Force commander became nonplussed, as he stated, "No, just concerned."

Princess reached and took a sip of her Coke. "I-I just think he's lonely. He's far from his home and he hardly knows anyone here."

"It's not your responsibility to be his guide and entertainment," Mark said brusquely.

Princess felt her ire rise as she defended herself, "I'm the only one he seems to know and feel comfortable with."

"I can see why. He's a bit arrogant and that doesn't exactly invite friendship." Mark leaned back and picked up his burger to take a bite, his annoyance evident. He went on, "Besides, as a member of G-Force you know as well as I do that the Federation frowns upon fraternization."

"True," she nodded, pinning him with her verdant gaze. "But isn't that what we've both been guilty of lately anyway, commander? With each other?"

Mark felt a pang of guilt go through him at her words and he admitted, "You're right, I guess we have." He met her gaze with his own earnest blue orbs realizing his duty once more. There was a strained, pregnant silence then he turned away and said flatly, "We'd better just eat and get back to where we should be."

Princess nodded and then nibbled on her burger with her eyes down as they silently ate. When both had finished, she spoke.

"Mark, I think you're wrong about Randy but I won't argue about this. I appreciate your concern for me and I promise that I won't allow myself to skip meals or sleep, but please trust me that I can see things for myself and as a member of G-Force will act accordingly." Her tone was clipped and icy.

Mark sighed as he said, "I know that and I'm not implying that your behavior would be anything other than professional. I'm just saying that you should be careful." He got up and said, "I have to get back to the Ready Room."

"I have to get back to work too." Princess rose as well and asked quietly, "See you later?"

Mark shrugged noncommittally as he replied, "We'll see. Take care." And he took his tray to the cleanup area, deposited it and left. Princess followed suit and as she left her tray she sighed deeply, disappointed over the way things had ended during her eagerly awaited time with the Eagle.

Unknown to her, a tall figure in the shadows of the darkened mess hall had witnessed the entire exchange and then got up and left unobtrusively. Once out in the hallway, Lieutenant Randy Addison grinned in smug satisfaction and made his way back to the Computer Control room, whistling.

The next day, Princess was still troubled by the somewhat rancorous meal she and Mark had shared the night before and so she appeared quiet and distracted throughout as she sat before the keyboard. After making the same mistake in configuration of the software for the newly installed peripherals for the third time, she sighed heavily and put her head in her hands, frustrated.

Randy called to her from the open panel of the main circuit board. "Are we up and running yet?"

Princess shook her head. "We keep getting invalid error messages. I'm about ready to pull my hair out."

Randy heard the distress in her voice and came up to the desk. He leaned in to peer at her and asked in a concerned tone, "Are you okay?"

She glanced up and replied, "Yeah, just frustrated that this isn't working yet." The Swan sighed heavily as she sat back and stared at the blinking monitor.

Randy stood back and said decisively, "That's because your head isn't on your work. Something's wrong I know it. So talk to me." At her dubious expression he added softly, "I'm here for you."

Princess saw warm compassion in his riveting dove gray eyes and was drawn in, against her better judgment. She pondered whether it was a good idea to confide in Randy about Mark considering Mark's distrust of the Federation lieutenant. But those gentle orbs of his were almost hypnotic as she heard herself agreeing. "Okay."

He smiled softly and said, "Great." He then brightened up and added, "Hey, I have an idea. Let's get out of here and go some place in town to have a real meal."

"Oh, I don't think we should leave. We're under a Level 2 Alert." Princess thought about the team and especially Mark as she said this _suppose Zoltar attacks?_

"That's just for Federation military personnel."

"But isn't that what we are?" she inquired.

Randy did not hesitate. "Yes, but we are on special assignment by order of the President and therefore are exempt unless he orders us to battle."

Princess nodded at the fact and then reluctantly agreed. "Okay, let's go but only for a short time."

Randy held up his three fingers in a salute. "I promise we'll only be gone for a couple of hours, scouts honor. Admit it, we really need a break." He took her arm and they headed out of the room.

She nodded again as she followed obediently. . .

They borrowed a jeep and a half hour later, at a trendy southwestern restaurant on the far outskirts of town Randy selected called **_La Hacienda,_** the duo were sitting in a booth sharing a plate of nachos and drinking virgin Margaritas to keep their wits about them. Laughing as they shared funny stories about their duties to the Federation, the two managed to relax and forget about the day's pressures. The restaurant itself was quite out of the way, surrounded by an arid and flat wilderness.

Princess giggled as Randy regaled her with tales of Federation flight school anecdotes, telling her about the numerous pranks he and his cadet mates pulled on each other to alleviate some of the pressures of classes and hops. Not to mention the FI's who were hardened battle scarred veterans who were regulation to the letter and as starched and uptight as they came.

"Yeah some of those guys were real hard asses," Randy said in reminiscence, a grin on his even features as he continued, "One night, we decided to get even and so as the FI with the call sign "Killer" was snoring away, we creamed 'im."

"Creamed him?" Princess asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah," he said snickering. "We take shaving cream and spray some in his right hand. Then we took a feather to tickle his nose like a fly so naturally he swats it and whammo, a face full of cream."

Princess burst out laughing as she said, "I never heard of that."

"Really? That's an old one, a classic Academy prank. I would've figured Mark would've told you all about the pranks we pulled in flight school as cadets. After all, he went to the Academy on Riga just like me."

At the mention of Mark, Princess's smile faded as she shook her ebony curls. "Mark seldom talks about his past. He did tell me some things, but not about the fun things like pranks. Mark is very private and keeps to himself a lot."

"Yeah I get the picture," Randy said laconically. "At the Academy, rumor had it that he was Colonel Cronus's pet and he was the FI's ideal student, always studying." He examined the Swan closely as he continued, "But I also heard that the two of you are very tight so I'm kinda surprised that he didn't say anything."

Princess took a sip of her drink and sighed as she admitted, "We are getting closer but Mark is like I said, very private and I don't push him. He can also get moody and so when he does I give him his space."

"Is he the reason you've been so down all day?" Randy asked bluntly.

Princess's delicate face became drawn as she replied, "We had words last night."

Randy gazed raptly at her. "About me."

She looked back at him and nodded. "Uh-huh."

Randy pursed his lips as he pondered the statement and then said, "Pardon me for saying this, Princess but I find it funny that the guy you're involved with doesn't seem to trust you."

Princess bristled as she sprung to Mark's defense. "And what exactly do you mean by that? Mark trusts all of us on the team."

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

The Swan became uneasy as she stammered, "M-Mark trusts me. He's just not sure about you. He doesn't like the idea of you and me working long hours all the time."

"I see," Randy said thoughtfully. "So he's threatened by me."

"No he's not," she denied. "He's just concerned about the hours I'm working and he's antsy about Zoltar's long silence."

"If you say so," Randy was dubious but then he reached over and grabbed her hand in both of his. "I want you to know one thing. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

His action made Princess even more flustered as she pulled her hand away. "I-I think we'd better get back to Center Neptune." She got up and announced, "I'm going to the ladies' room, be right back." She hurried away toward the restrooms as Randy watched her go. He then reached in his pocket and took out what looked like a packet of sugar, opened it and sprinkled the contents into Princess's glass. When it dissolved, he touched the insignia on his uniform collar and spoke sotto voce.

"Everything is going as planned. I will contact you when it's finished."

In the ladies room, Princess stood at the sink and ran some cool water to splash on her flushed face. Her heart pounded as she sensed Randy's advances and although she knew she could handle any wolf treatment, she was a trifle fearful, due mostly to the fact that they had to work closely together. Strangely, she worked as closely with Mark, going on missions alone with him all the time and never felt that way at all.

"But that's because you're hung up on Mark," Princess said to her reflection in the mirror. "And you don't mind one bit if _he _wants to get closer."

She sighed and patted her cheeks dry _I'd better get back out there before he comes looking for me. _She then headed out.

When she got back to the table a contrite Randy met her and immediately apologized, "I'm sorry for what I said and for getting too aggressive with you. I was way out of line."

Princess studied the earnest expression on the handsome lieutenant's face and she relented, "It's okay. You're right, I've been uptight all day and I'm sorry too."

"No problem," he said as he smiled and then said, "Now that we're friends again, why don't we at least finish our drinks, okay?" He pushed her glass over as she sat down.

"Okay." Princess picked up her glass as Randy picked up his. He reached over and clinked glasses.

"Bottoms up."

The two of them drained their glasses and sighed as they rose. "Duty calls, eh?"

"Yeah, we'd better be going," Princess said as she left the booth and headed to the exit. She blinked as her vision became hazy, following Randy as he went to the cashier to pay their check.

He was taking the change when he noticed Princess blinking her eyes and swaying a bit so he turned with a worried look and asked her, "Princess, are you okay?"

She shook her head to clear it as she replied, "Y-yeah, let's go to the car. The fresh air will probably make me feel better." And as she headed out of the restaurant and to the parking lot, she stumbled and fell as everything became black. Wordlessly, Randy crouched down and cradled her as some concerned patrons came forward.

"Hey buddy, is your girlfriend all right?" a man asked as he knelt beside Princess.

Randy flashed the guy a polite smile. "Yeah she will be. We did shots of Cuerval and she just insisted on eating the worm."

The man gave a low whistle as he got back up to his feet. "Yeah I hear ya. That little worm is lethal. Good luck"

"Thanks." Randy reached around and scooped Princess up, taking her to the jeep where he laid her in the passenger seat. Once she was situated, he touched the insignia and spoke into it.

"We're ready."

Almost immediately, two feminine figures in pink and black came forward, took the limp Swan, and vanished as another petite female in an inidentical pink T-shirt with a "3"and pinstriped jeans came forward. Randy smiled at the girl and addressed her thusly.

"Ready to go back to work…_Princess?"_

The girl's pretty face smiled at the lieutenant and nodded as they both got in the jeep to head back to Center Neptune.

NEXT----LOOKS ARE DECEIVING


	5. LOOKS ARE DECEIVING

_Author's Note: So sorry for the delay but this chapter had to pretty much wait for inspiration to hit—working on four stories simultaneously is tough! But here the stage is set and Mark and the team are getting the first pieces of the puzzle. Some pretty decent fluff coming up so all you Mark/Princess fans enjoy but it will be the last until the end—I don't want him to be fooled. Thanks all you faithful readers and reviewers. Reviews are welcome. _

**LOOKS ARE DECEIVING**

Later that night, at the airfield left to him by his father in the shack he called home, the G-Force commander tried to sleep, restlessly tossing and turning his mind occupied with several pressing matters. In a rather stressed manner, he went to Chief Anderson to request that he be able to leave Center Neptune for the night to seek after some time alone. Since they were on a Level 2 Alert, the chief reluctantly acquiesced under one condition, that the commander keep his communicator on and he is available the moment he is summoned. Mark agreed and then took off in his plane for a long flight to be alone with his dark thoughts. Those same thoughts were plaguing him as he returned to the airfield and when he retired for the night. There were many things on his mind, one major thing being Zoltar's unusually long hiatus from attacking after his last defeat which had him deeply concerned as to what the mercurial leader of Spectra was planning. But the one issue that was affecting his sleep most, however, was the seemingly subtle undertone he was sensing from the Federation cyber corps lieutenant toward Princess. The fellow was just too close to her for his liking and it was more than mere jealousy, he had a bad feeling about him that was growing proportionately.

Mark sighed as he glanced at the digital clock display and saw the time. _3:35 AM and I'm still wide awake. Damn this isn't good, at this rate I won't get any sleep at all and I need to be alert should Zoltar attack. _

With a disgusted sigh, Mark threw the covers off and clad only in his shorts got out of bed to stride over to the window and stare glumly at the nearly full moon, hanging in the sky like a lemon wafer suspended on the ebony clime, lacy cirrus clouds framing it. His thoughts were on Princess and the last time they had both been under a full moon:

**_Flashback:_**

_**It was a memorable evening, one of the best they had experienced during their extended leave from duty. Earlier, they had gone to an outdoor rock concert, content to sit on a blanket together at the rear fringe of the massive crowd, far enough away to enjoy some privacy but still be able to hear the music. Mark was happy that night, happier than he had been in a long time and felt truly free from the shackles of duty and able to act like the 18 year-old young man he was, on a date with a girl he was crazy about. He sat up against a tree, his arms looped around Princess and her fragrance of musk and roses was intoxicating, filling his senses to the point of overload. He had his face buried in the downy raven silk of her hair and savored the feel of it while his mind eagerly contemplated the later time when they would be alone together.**_

_**The concert had ended and they both were in his car, heading for a leisurely drive along the beach and to a secluded spot that overlooked the crashing surf, shining like quicksilver in the moonlight. Mark pulled up to the edge, blocked by some large rock formations that kept them at a safe distance but allowed for a perfect view of the breaking waves. He shut off the motor and tuning in some soft music on the radio, turned to Princess who was observing the view with wide forest green eyes that were sparkling enticingly.**_

_**"Oh Mark it's so beautiful up here! How did you find it?" she breathed, taken by the majestic meeting of sky and sea.**_

_**"Oh I was flying one day over here and saw it so I made a mental note of it and wanted you to see it. So you dig it, huh?"**_

_**"Uh-huh." Princess turned to the handsome Eagle whose eyes were lit like twin star sapphires and he smiled, pleased by her approval. He leaned close and stretched his arm to rest it behind her.**_

_**She gazed at him raptly as she said, "The concert was really groovy too. I'm having a terrific time."**_

_**"Me too." Mark's eyes were mesmerizing azure orbs that were infused with emotions barely held back. He drew slowly closer until they were inches apart.**_

_**She became a bit flustered as she continued, "And I really," but her words were silenced by her commander's lips as he touched down on hers, warmly insistent as his other hand reached and cradled her face, holding it captive as he teased her mouth open and tasted her sweetness.**_

_**At that moment on the radio the oldie "Sweet Cherry Wine" by Tommy James and the Shondells began playing and Mark found himself musing how Princess tasted just like wild cherries as his tongue continued to explore her mouth. To his delight, she responded to him with equal fervor, unfolding before him like a blossom to the warm spring sun.**_

_**When they finally drew apart, both were breathless as the mutual pent up passion that they had held in check for so long burst free like a thermonuclear blast, leveling both emotionally so they were in awe.**_

_**"Wow," the Eagle and Swan said in unison, eyes wide in wonder as they just stared at each other. Both blinked as if to say "What was that?" then giggled like children who had experienced true adult feelings for the first time.**_

_**"That was unbelievable," Princess said softly.**_

_**"Yeah it sure was," Mark agreed as he added with a rakish grin. "but just like eating peanuts, you can't stop at just one."**_

_**She arched an inky brow. "Is that so?" she asked coyly.**_

_**He leaned in and before he claimed her mouth once more he said, "Uh-huh." And they were again swept away. . . .**_

_**End flashback**_

Mark closed his eyes and he felt a tightening in his loins as the memory lingered in his mind of the exquisite feel of Princess finally in his arms after so many fantasies during their training sessions and lulls in fighting. At last they were able to express their feelings without having to hold back just to have the halcyon time cut short by their never ending duties to the Federation and G-Force. He felt a wave of resentment rise in him at the overwhelming unfairness of things and his own sense of duty re-awoke from its temporary dormant state.

"Damn it to hell!" he ground out savagely as he whirled from the starry skyscape to try to get some sleep. . .

-

The next morning, Mark's communicator went off and indicated an urgent summons by Chief Anderson so he leapt out of bed, dressed, and flew off to Center Neptune to meet with the team in his office. When he got there, the rest of the team, sans Princess were gathered awaiting the directive that was forthcoming.

Anderson turned and addressed G-Force, his face a grave study, "Team, Zark just informed me that he picked up the ionic vibrations that indicated a Spectran craft nearby. An unmanned probe in the area, on the outskirts near the desert reported nothing but since we're on Level 2 Alert we want you to go out on a reconnaissance mission to investigate."

"Is Zark sure that it's a Spectran craft?" Mark inquired.

"Zark said that the signals were indicative that the craft was Spectran. So head out, team!"

They all saluted. "G-Force!" and they were gone. . . .

In about twenty minutes, the sleek ship known as the Phoenix hovered above the desert floor, its landing gear down and jets kicking up sand in a maelstrom as the huge craft got ready to settle down near some cacti. Before she did, however, she opened the compartments at her nose and at the left wing, releasing the G-2 racer and the G-4 ATV, setting both down and then landing a small distance away. The Phoenix became silent as her jets hissed and she was turned off, then the four members in their birdstyle appeared at the top bubble for disembarking. The canopy slid open and they all leapt down beneath the ship by both vehicles to strategize.

Mark addressed the three. "Okay team, here's the drill. I'll go with Jason in the G-2 and we'll head to the north and east. Tiny, you go with Keyop in the G-4 and scout out the south and west and use your ultra high sensors, reporting to me at the first sign of anything suspicious. We'll head out to a ten-mile radius and meet back here when done. Any questions?"

Nobody had one so he continued, "Then let's move out. Be careful." He and Jason headed to climb into the cockpit of the low slung racer as the Sparrow and the Owl got into the ATV.

As Jason fired up and revved the G-2 to life he turned to Mark and asked, "So what exactly are we looking for?" He shifted gears and they took off in a cloud of dust.

"I'm not sure but from what I was able to get on the computer on the Phoenix from Zark, the vibrations match those from the nuclear reactor on the Devil Star." He frowned as he consulted the on dash screen. "But I don't see the vibrations now at all. If it really was the Devil Star that landed here, it appears to have vanished. I don't like it."

Jason snorted, "Typical MO from Zoltar, sneaking in like the snake he is. And since it's the Devil Star you're talking about it means that sweet little sister of his Mala's claws are in whatever they're planning."

Mark grunted in the affirmative as he continued to closely monitor the sensor screen as Jason continued to drive and scan the area. Then, a blip appeared followed by a loud beep that indicated vibrations of radioactivity that got louder as they got closer. Mark leaned forward to remove the sensor from the dashboard and then issued an order.

"Pull over to the right another 25 feet, Jason."

Jason did as he was bid and asked, "You got something there?"

"Yeah maybe. The sensor's singing like a canary." He gestured to a clearing. "Stop there, Jason."

"You got it, Cap." The G-2 screeched to a halt and both the Eagle and the Condor jumped out and began to scout out the territory, using the sensor as a guide. Both men followed along as the tones became more frequent and of longer duration. Then as they reached a rather flattened area, the sensor glowed bright red.

"Bingo!" Mark interjected. "Take a closer look, Jason." The Eagle and Condor both knelt down with the sensor and the glow intensified. "The sensor is picking up residual radioactivity with strong vibrations of a nuclear reactor having been here. Since Spectra uses nuclear reactors to power their ships all this points directly to a Spectran ship having landed here very recently. Question is though, where on Earth are they now, if they're still here?"

"Damn!" Jason said with a scowl. "So where the hell do ya think they could've disappeared to?

"Dunno. It's anyone's guess if they're even still around. I'm sure Zark would've picked up the vibrations as well as BE."

Jason inquired, "Yeah, but isn't BE disabled with the PAX coming online?"

Mark shook his head. "Not completely. Riga or one of the Federation planets that are at full power are monitoring us while PAX is being set up and I'm positive they would have warned us in the event of an invasion by Spectra." He pursed his lips in thought as they both rose.

"So," Jason said pondering, "then it seems that a Spectra ship came and left completely undetected by us. That gives me the willies."

"Uh-huh." Mark turned and said, "We'd better contact the others and head back to Center Neptune to brief Anderson on this." Both sprinted toward the G-2. . . .

Back at the base, the team gathered before Chief Anderson and told him of their discovery. After they finished, Anderson addressed them grimly.

"Well Team, it looks like Spectra has something planned for us. And that means effective immediately we are now at Level 1 Alert status. That means you will remain on base in your quarters and be ready to depart at a moment's notice."

All four young men nodded. "Yes, sir!"

"Dismissed," Anderson said brusquely as they all turned to leave but Keyop remained with a hesitant look on his gamin face. The others stopped to see as chief regarded the youth curiously.

"Yes, Keyop? You have something to say?"

"Brrp-yes, sir."

"Well, out with it," Anderson said with a sigh.

The youngster looked at his teammates and then back at his superior as he stammered, "Brrrp-about Princess."

Anderson skewered the youth with his piercing gaze. "What about her?"

"I think the kid wants to ask what we all want to know," Jason said. "Is she gonna be joining us if Zoltar attacks."

Anderson sighed as he said impatiently, "I should think considering what you and Mark found that the priority of getting PAX fully operational is imperative and that is where she is most needed."

"We know, chief," Mark said dutifully. "We're aware that should Zoltar appear, we would do our very best, even being one down."

"Brrrrp-that's not what I mean," Keyop said a tad irked.

Mark regarded the boy with kind but questioning eyes. "Then what are you getting at, Keyop?"

Keyop swallowed hard as he replied, "Brrrrp-she came to the quarters last night late."

"And?"

The Sparrow looked even more uncomfortable as he lowered his unruly chocolate head and continued, "Brrrp-she wasn't…herself."

Mark's eyes bored into him. "What do you mean 'not herself'?"

Keyop entreated his commander, "She….she—brrrp-was mean to me."

Anderson cast a glance at Mark as if to say _you handle this, commander _and then said, "I'm sure it was nothing, Keyop. Now if you all would excuse me, I have to meet with President Kane. We'll all meet again tomorrow at 0800 hours. That is all."

This time all four members of G-Force exited in due haste, leaving the chief's office immediately but they all gathered in conference outside. Mark grasped Keyop's arm and demanded, "What happened last night, Keyop?"

The boy's sherry eyes clouded with unconcealed hurt as he replied, "Brrrrp—she came into our quarters really late and when I asked her why, she said to-brrrp-mind my own damned business."

"She did, huh?" Mark's azure orbs darkened with concern as he contemplated the incident, frowning as the same uneasy feeling stirred in the pit of his stomach that something was not right.

"Gee, that's not like Princess at all," Tiny said.

"Yeah, I'd expect her to say something like that to me but not to Keyop," Jason pointed out. He glanced at Mark's thoughtful frown and added, "You thinking what I'm thinking, boss?"

Mark slowly met Jason's sapphire orbs and nodded slowly. He addressed the entire team. "You guys head to the Ready Room and I'll meet you there later."

He turned to head in the direction of the elevator, his destination the main computer control room but a gangly preteen hand detained him. He looked down at the pleading eyes of the Sparrow.

"Brrrp-Mark, you think something's wrong with Princess, huh?"

Mark masked his own emotions by flashing and easy grin at the troubled youth. He ruffled Keyop's hair and said, "Relax, buddy. I'm sure she's just fine. She's just overworked, that's all. But I'm gonna go check on her, okay?"

Keyop's eyes shone in gratitude. "Brrrp—thanks, Mark." He took off down towards the Ready Room as Mark watched, fondness for the youngster making him smile. As soon as Keyop disappeared so did his smile as he then strode purposefully off to the elevator. . . .

In the main computer control room the girl 'Princess' and the lieutenant Randy Addison were hard at work installing and configuring the new hardware to get the PAX system up and running. As Randy did the actual installation, 'Princess' configured the hardware to the operating system and took notations to begin the secondary but arduous task of writing tutorial software that would be duplicated and sent to all planets belonging to the Intergalactic Federation.

'Princess' sat at the keyboard and monitor to watch the schematic as the hardware was linking up in the processor and the screen glowed with a green light indicating success. She smiled in satisfaction as she crowed, "We got it!"

Randy pushed himself from the dolly he was laying on and jumped to his feet to come and see the fruits of their collaborative labor. He placed his hands on her slim shoulders and squeezed them as he complimented her work.

"All right, partner. Way to go."

She gazed up into the dove gray orbs radiating on her as she said, "We make a great team…. Lieutenant." She raised her head up as he leaned down.

"We always did," Randy said as he captured her lips in a kiss. Princess turned herself around in the chair and she stood up and melded into his arms in a full body embrace responding in eager fervor. The two were so intent in their passionate expression that they failed to see that they had a visitor.

Mark entered the area that was the center to the heart of the Federation's massive galactic defense system and made his way through the labyrinth of mainframe computer terminals until he heard voices, one a familiar sweet soprano. He turned and made his way to where the two were and his heart dropped as he came to a stunned halt at what he saw. Surprise immediately morphed into a cold fury as he became sick with envy at the unbridled display of affection.

"Excuse me." His baritone was heavy with sarcasm.

At the sound of another, Princess and Randy broke apart, embarrassed and guilty as she said brightly, "Oh hi Mark. You surprised us."

"Obviously." His eyes became azure slits as he addressed the lieutenant. "Addison, if you don't mind I need to borrow your co-worker for just a few minutes to discuss some pressing G-Force matters." Not even waiting for Randy's response he took Princess by the elbow and hustled her none too gently out through the maze of computers and to the hall, slamming the door. He wasted no time in showing his displeasure.

"Okay, you want to tell me what the hell was that?" Mark snapped as he gripped Princess roughly by the shoulders.

"Mark let go, you're hurting me," she protested, trying to free herself but his hold was like steel.

"I want to know, Princess. Now."

"Then take your hands off me," she said coldly as she wrenched and he released her simultaneously, causing her stumble back. She regained her composure and flipped her raven locks back nonchalantly as she said neutrally, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mark's eyes widened in total disbelief as if he were hearing things. "You can't mean that you don't have a clue as to why what I just saw was among other things, a major breach in regulations? You gotta be putting me on, Princess."

"Regulations?" she said with a slim brow arched. "Is that what you're so uptight about, C_ommander_?" The inflection in the last word made it sound like an insult, further establishing her blatant defiance that bordered on insubordination.

Mark was trying to keep a firm hold on his temper but it was getting increasingly harder as he saw total indifference in Princess's cold green eyes. He made another Herculean attempt to remain calm as he replied, "Princess, are you trying to get back at me for the other day? Because if you are, this is neither the time or place for displays of that nature."

She gave an unladylike snort as she answered, "Duly noted, Mark. Now if you're finished spying on me, I have to get back to work." Princess made to open the door and leave but Mark stood in front of her, barring her way.

He tried a different tact as he said softly, "I brought you out here because I want to talk to you and find out what the problem is. You're not acting like yourself and we're all worried. Keyop told me you both had words last night when you came in so late. Where were you?"

She crossed her arms over her bosom in an obstinate stance, her delicate chin raised as she retorted, "What is this, a prison? Do I have to be in at a certain time for bed check?"

"Of course not."

"Then maybe it's only you that has the privilege of coming and going as you please, huh Commander? You did head off to your place last night didn't you? Or do the rest of us peons have a chance to have some scrap of a normal life, normal being a relative term?" Her verdant gaze was stormy, like a sea in a hurricane.

Mark closed his eyes and took a deep breath to lower his rising ire. He said dourly, "I'm just concerned about you as are the rest of us, especially Keyop. Your response last night to him being worried about you was uncalled for."

"Oh, I get it. Your role as commander in G-Force crosses over into our private lives now as well, does it?"

That did it. Mark again took hold of her shoulders forcing her to look at him and barked, "Knock off the snide remarks, Princess! We're worried because I thought we all were family and families worry about each other." He lowered his tone and added, "And after the previous month I thought that you and I were…well, you know." His eyes were cerulean pools as his emotions of hurt were displayed.

'Princess' found herself drawn into the summer sky orbs and she suddenly realized why the real Swan was so smitten with the Eagle. With those eyes he was hard to resist so she fell into the role of being contrite.

"I'm sorry, Mark," her voice held a velvety huskiness as it usually did when they were in their times of closeness, a perfect parody of the real Princess. Her eyes entreated him as she lowered her chin.

Completely confused now, Mark saw the instant change of heart and so he treaded with caution. But he decided to play along so he relaxed and said, "Done, but I still don't understand why you and Addison were in such a clutch. I mean if we're an item and besides that, we have to watch our behavior while on duty."

"I know but I can't help it. Randy and I just finished installing a component that had been giving us fits and it finally was accepted so he….kissed me. It didn't mean anything, believe me." She punctuated the last statement with a big-eyed pout.

Mark was torn, wanting to believe her yet unable to get the sight of her in the handsome lieutenant's brawny arms out of his head. Yet those forest pool eyes that served to make his heart pound took control and the uneasiness began to fade as he crushed her petite form to him, giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Mark said against her hair. "I just flipped out when I saw you in his arms."

"I'm sorry. Trust me, it won't happen again." She pulled away and made a cross over her bosom. "Cross my heart."

Now placated, Mark nodded and added, "I believe you. But maybe you can come by the Ready Room later to talk to Keyop. He's pretty down and you know you're like a big sister to him."

She sighed, "I know and I promise I'll come down to talk to him. I'll be staying here anyway with us being on Level 1 Alert now." She gave him a smile as she said, "I have to get back to work now, Mark."

"Okay."

Princess came to him and placed her hands on his brawny shoulders, bringing her soft petal lips to his for a sweetly lingering kiss, which caused his arms to encircle her to deepen the expression. When they drew apart she asked softly, "Friends?"

Mark chuckled, "After that do you have to ask?" He leaned in for another as unknown to the two, they were being observed. . .

A few minutes later, 'Princess' returned to her workstation as Randy stood before her, arms akimbo as he demanded, "So what took so long?"

She gave him an easy smile as she sauntered up to him to lay a soft caress on his cheek. "Nothing for you to worry about, lover. Just playing my part."

He grabbed her wrist in a vice like grip as he warned her, "Yeah well, you just remember that you're just here to convince everyone until we finish our task."

"I know. And it's a good thing you had planted that audio/video bug on the real Princess to let me know what the situation between her and the Eagle was so I could be convincing."

"Well, thank Mala for that little bit of insight," Randy said sardonically. But he grabbed the girl as he added, "But still you watch your step, Rula. I know how much you enjoy the attention of good-looking men and the Eagle and the Swan are very, very close. Don't let your own over enthusiastic nature blow our cover. Trust me he's already suspicious."

The Spectran doppelganger named Rula giggled, as she reassured him, "Don't concern yourself, love. I know what our mission is and I won't get so carried away that I forget."

Randy grunted, "Make sure you don't because I don't have to remind you what will happen to us if you do. If you get caught so will I not to mention what will happenwhen Zoltar or Mala find out."

Rula smiled, "Randy, I assure you I am fully aware that we hang together or for certain we will hang separately."

**NEXT-CAPTIVE SWAN**


	6. CAPTIVE SWAN

_Author's Note: Okay this chapter's not as long as my others but with what's coming next in the plot, I have to stop here. And although Mark appears a bit OOC here I'm portraying him as the complex person he is, with his sense of duty warring with his desires as a young man. Also, coming up, Rula will tip her hand by being so aggressive now that a doubt has been planted. Thanks for all the support readers and especially my reviewers._

**CAPTIVE SWAN**

The PAX project was proceeding as scheduled with Randy and 'Princess' working nearly round the clock to get the components installed and the anti-weapon operational. The rest of the G-Force team was experiencing mild to severe cases of cabin fever, being sequestered to the Ready Room due to the Level 1 Alert. Although the investigation into the appearance of a Spectra ship and the even more mysterious vanishing of said ship was classified as a false alarm, the alert remained in effect. So the team remained in the Ready Room and being active teenagers in an active vocation, pent up energies were beginning to wear on them. After all, there was just so much videos, ping pong matches, eating, and playing music they could do before being overcome by sheer boredom.

Mark and Jason were in the midst of a pool match, having grown tired of ping pong and the score was tied in the rubber of a three game match of 9-ball. Mark had just missed sinking the 8-ball into an easy corner shot and cursing under his breath, he relinquished the game to his second.

The Condor snickered as he set up to sink the shot and win the game with the lightest of taps on the cue ball to nudge the 8 in. He gave a mock apology, thoroughly enjoying getting one up on his commander.

"Sorry 'bout that, Chief but that was the easiest shot. I can't believe you blew it." He reached for the rack and began digging in the pockets for the balls. "Should I rack 'em up again?"

The Eagle snorted, "Yeah right. So you can beat my ass again? No thanks."

"But don't ya want the sweet taste of revenge? I'll even spot ya 20 points."

Mark shook his mahogany head. "I've had enough punishment if you don't mind."

"Suit yourself."

Jason dropped the balls back in the pockets as Mark strode over to the window to stare out at a passing school of fish. In the background, Tiny and Keyop were in the heat of battle in a game of video kendo, using martial arts moves with swordsmanship and so Mark and Jason were alone.

The G-Force second in command joined his leader as he sighed and commented, "Man, I am like so ready to blow this pop stand. What did Anderson have to say about our buddy Zoltar?"

Mark shook his head as he replied tersely, "He's as frustrated as we are. The lab confirmed what we found out in the desert as sure signs that a Spectra ship had landed but we've had no other indication of Zoltar or any of his Spectran goons being around. Not a clue." He ran a hand through his hair in irritation.

Jason shook his head. "I don't like it. The more we sit here and wait the more time Zoltar's got to lay a big one on us."

"Hmmm," Mark said frowning. . . .

Many light years away, in the bowels of the modern Spectra command center was a contradiction that was a throwback to the medieval dank dungeon where prisoners were jailed and one cell held the petite figure of the Swan. Princess sat on a hard wooden bench huddled as best she could to retain warmth with her hands bound in chains. She was chilled to the bone in the damp confines and additional chill came from the fear and uncertainty of her fate. She bit her lip in consternation as she strained against her fetters, but the chains had her bound completely, making it impossible to move her hands at all.

_Damn! _She said to herself _I've got to get a Bird Scramble to Mark so he can stop Randy. He's probably working for Spectra and sabotaging the PAX project._ She tried again to pull at her bounds and unsuccessful, her slim shoulders slumped in defeat. Tears pricked at her eyes in frustration as she leaned back and then she brightened up as an epiphany hit her.

Princess leaned against her left wrist, pushing it toward the hard stone wall and tried to push the scramble button in a succession of taps, the G-Force distress signal. But the chains were interfering with the contact of the button so the communicator made faint beeps, hardly able to transmit.

"Damn it!" she snapped as the sound of twin footfalls startled her and she heard the click of a lock giving way. Wary, Princess cast her verdant gaze at the two lank figures of Zoltar and Mala as they approached with a pair of armed Spectran soldiers.

Zoltar stood before Princess with his arms akimbo, gloating. "Well, well. If it isn't the lovely Swan of G-Force. We are indeed honored to have you here on our humble Spectra."

Princess glared at the enemy Spectran leader and retorted, "The pleasure's all yours, Zoltar."

Mala screeched, "Silence, girl. You'll speak to the leader in respect!" She reached over and wrenched sharply on Princess' chains causing her to cry out in pain. The two women exchanged mutual malicious stares.

Zoltar laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Take it easy, dear sister. The Swan is quite valuable to us at the moment and so please restrain yourself."

Mala scowled but complied as Princess skewered her with her jade orbs. She then turned away from the Amazonian Spectran witch and addressed Zoltar, " You'll never get away with this, Zoltar. Mark and the rest of G-Force will discover your treachery and rescue me."

He laughed nastily as he responded, " That may be true eventually but for the time being, they have no idea you're gone. We've made sure that you're not missed at all. Just watch." He pushed a button on his belt and a hologram came up that showed the interior of the computer room at Center Neptune where Randy and a raven haired girl in pinstriped jeans that appeared to be her were busy at work.

Princess' eyes widened to jade saucers as she felt as if she were looking into a mirror. Her face showed astonishment as Zoltar crowed about his accomplishment.

"Amazing isn't it?" he inquired silkily. "Absolutely identical to you in every way." At her shocked expression he continued, "You're probably wondering how we managed this feat so allow me to elaborate. During the last fiasco with the flower spores when you got captured, you left a very useful DNA imprint that helped us to create the perfect double for you."

"So you created a cyborg to imitate me," the Swan sniffed. "You really think that she'll fool Chief Anderson and the rest of the team? Even if you have managed to copy my abilities you're doomed from the start."

"Hardly. Your double, like you is an expert in computers and as such, she and our other operative are now preparing to destroy the PAX anti-weapon that the Federation has spent so much time and effort on." He sighed as he said, "Quite regrettable."

_Other operative? I knew it, Randy! _she said in awe to herself as she cried, "You fiend, you'll never get away with it!" And a cyborg will never convince the chief or the team that she's me. You're a fool."

"I told you to show the leader respect" hissed Mala as she drew her hand back and viciously slapped Princess across her face. G-3 glared at the woman in unconcealed hate.

Zoltar laughed again as he stated, "Nothing as primitive as that. You forget Swan, that Spectra is light years ahead of Earth in genetic technology and we can take an existing being and imprint them with another's DNA, making them into a whole new person."

Princess glared at the Spectran leader as she said incredulously, "T-that's diabolical! Re-creating beings and playing God!"

"Spare me your earthling pious indignation," Zoltar snapped. "All intelligent beings throughout the universe are aware that the concept of a supreme god is nothing more than wishful creations in the minds of you Earth-dwellers. Which is why when we finally conquer you we will abolish all thoughts of that nature. Besides, I am not here to discuss petty human philosophies with you." He touched his belt and the image vanished. "I just wanted you to be aware that we finally have the upper hand with G-Force and when the time is right, you all will be destroyed. So just relax here and wait until we need you." He and Mala turned to leave.

Princess sighed as she asked tonelessly, "So if you intend to destroy us what do you need me for?"

Zoltar stopped in mid stride and threw over his shoulder. "Bait, my dear Swan. I intend to use you as bait to lure the rest of your G-Force comrades to their reckoning. So just sit back and enjoy our hospitality for the time being." The two siblings and the soldiers opened the cell door and left Princess alone, their footsteps echoing down the hall.

She sighed resignedly as all Zoltar had told her sunk in _I hate to admit it but it looks this time like Zoltar has us over a barrel. Oh Mark I wish you were here! _Again she tried to send a Bird Scramble, tapping her communicator against the stone wall. . . .

Back on Earth in the Ready Room, G-1 and G-2 had resumed their friendly pool rivalry as Mark's communicator made a faint intermittent beep that drew his immediate attention, blinking pink. He glanced at it puzzled wondering why Princess would be contacting him. Thinking it important, he reached to put down his pool cue.

Jason glanced over and remarked sagely, "Looks like a summons from our girl, eh commander?"

Mark replied, "Possibly. I'll just go and check on her down in the computer room just to be sure."

Jason snickered at Mark who threw him a look before he turned and headed out. As the door shut G-2 smirked as he called, "Now don't do anything I wouldn't do which pretty much means knock yourself out."

Mark sprinted to the elevator and entered punching the button for up musing _I wonder why she's calling me. _His eyes darkened and narrowed as he said _If that joker Addison has tried anything with her I swear I'll—_

The door opened and Mark strode over to the panel door, keyed in the security code and the door slid open to admit him. He made his way through the maze of mainframes until he heard voices. He was especially surprised to hear the baritone of Chief Anderson so he followed the sounds to their source.

Anderson was standing before Randy and 'Princess' as he appeared to be chastising them. "I'm asking if either of you have a viable explanation as to why the warning system in Vector Neptune has failed." He glanced over as Mark approached.

"The warning system in Vector Neptune?" G-1 inquired with a raised brow.

Anderson nodded grimly as Randy tried to explain. "Sir, with all due respect, I can't imagine as why that would happen." He threw a glance at Mark who stood there with his arms crossed, waiting as well.

Anderson cast his eyes at 'Princess'. "And you Princess, do you have anything to say?"

With her head hung in shame 'Princess' looked at her superior and she replied in a soft alto, "All I can say sir, is I'll work around the clock if I have to in order to get it up and running." She glanced at Mark with a lost look that tugged at his heartand he sent a sympathetic gaze to reassure her.

The Federation chief grunted as he spotted the Eagle. He said brusquely, "Commander, I wish to see you and the G-Force second in command in my office in 15 minutes." He whirled and exited the computer room.

Randy and 'Princess' exchanged glances as Mark approached her and asked, "So what happened?"

Randy shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. We were just installing a component and the warning system went haywire. But we'll get it going again, eh Prin?"

She nodded "Uh-huh."

Mark scowled slightly at the familiarity that Addison was using toward 'Princess' but he shook it off as coworkers working closely together. He addressed the lieutenant, "Do you mind if I talk to Princess alone for a moment?"

Randy shook his head. "Nope. Just don't take too long, we gotta get back to work here." He shot a significant look at 'Princess' as Mark took her elbow and led her to the outside hall.

Once out there, she threw her arms about G-1 and hugged him as she said gratefully, "Thank goodness you came. Anderson was fit to be tied, I thought he was going to take off both our heads."

Mark returned the embrace as he said against her ebony tresses. "You can't blame him, honey. We are on a Level 1 Alert and we need the warning system operational." He pulled away and asked, "So what happened anyway?"

'Princess' replied, "We were installing a component for PAX to link up with BE and made a wrong connection that caused a short in the warning system. It also caused the warning system at Vector Neptune to go down."

"Ouch," he said. "But I can see why he's getting so uptight, what with the report of a possible Spectra ship landing here and then disappearing last week." Mark put his hands on her shoulders and added with a wry smile, "I guess that's why you sent me a Bird Scramble, huh, to rescue you from the chief's wrath."

"Bird Scramble?" 'Princess said in puzzlement. "I never sent you a Bird Scramble."

Mark's azure eyes widened in response. "C'mon Prin, I got the signal while me and Jason were in the Ready Room. I figured you needed me for something so I came down." He frowned as he noticed her look of dismay. "You really didn't call me on the bracelet?"

She shook her midnight curls. "I swear to you Mark, I didn't." She moved closer seductively as she purred, "But I'm glad you came down anyway." She reached up on tiptoe to plant her petal soft lips on his.

Mark forgot about everything for the moment as his arms encircled her and he responded fully to her uncustomary boldness. But his voice of reason echoed in his head as he realized his duty. Regretfully, he pulled away.

"I have to go to Anderson's and you have to get back to work, baby." At her look of disappointment he promised, "But if you come down to my quarters later, we can pick up where we left off."

"I'll be there," 'Princess' said with a wink as she slipped back into the computer room.

Mark watched her as she disappeared behind the panel door and then took off, sprinting to the elevator to head to the chief's office. As he rode up he shook his head as he contemplated his and Princess's relationship of late which had gotten a lot steamier. He was amazed at his own attitude that had taken a recent hiatus from being "anal" as Jason put it and made him almost glad to skate the boundaries of protocol and spend passionate moments with the girl he loved. His common sense told him that he was dangerously close to breaking the rules but with the way his times with Princess were, he found he really did not care as she had become more aggressive and he really liked that. And he was, after all an 18 year old young man although if Anderson discovered about their clandestine little trysts, he would not accept that as an excuse.

The elevator door slid open and Mark shot out, running down the corridor to Anderson's office, meeting Jason who was already there. The Condor gave the Eagle a salute.

"The chief called me here too. Got any idea why?" Jason asked as Mark shrugged and hit the button to let them in.

"Nope, but I guess we're gonna find out now." Both young men approached the desk where the Federation chief sat glowering at them.

"You're late," he snapped. "I expect better from you, Commander."

Mark lowered his umber head and apologized, "I'm sorry, chief. I was talking to Princess and lost track of time." Anderson waved him off impatiently.

"No excuses. We have a potential situation that I need the two of you for. Since you were down in the computer room with Princess I take it you heard about the computer failure in Vector Neptune, Mark."

He nodded as the chief continued, "The failure itself is not the problem but the fact that we are getting sporadic reports of glitches within the BE network. The situation is that we think it has something to do with some of the new components being installed. Everything was going fine till these last few days."

"Wait a minute, chief." Jason put his hand up. "Are you saying that there's foul play taking place? Princess is the one doing the installations."

"What about Addison?" Mark queried. "He's just as involved as she is."

"I'm not exonerating him, commander. He's under as much scrutiny as she is."

Jason snapped, "Then why not blame him for the screw-ups. It's like you've lost faith in Princess."

Anderson barked, "I'm not saying anything against Princess or her skills. I'm the one that oversaw her training as I did with all of you. I just want to ask you both how she seems to you when you see her."

Mark retorted, "We don't get to see her. At least not that much."

Anderson pinned the Eagle with his eyes. "Come on, commander. Don't tell me you haven't seen her because I know different." At the young man's guilty expression he leaned in and said softly, "Mark, I'm not condemning you in this, I'm just concerned about Princess, she doesn't seem like herself."

He went on, "Before you came into the computer room I had asked her a simple question about the down time and she was quite hostile. I was surprised because it was so unlike her. Have either of you noticed her being that way?"

Mark turned away as Jason said, "I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary." But as he went to look out at the deep blue expanse of the undersea he spoke.

"She's been a bit more…forward with me." He blushed a bit as he said, "During our times together."

Anderson sighed as he said, "I'm not trying to pry into your personal life, commander. But with the report on the possible Spectran craft landing and vanishing I have some thoughts on the matter."

Both Jason and Mark glanced at each other and then at Anderson. Mark's azure eyes narrowed as he said, "You can't be thinking that Spectra has planted someone to impersonate Princess. That's crazy."

"Is it?" the chief said with a raised brow. "You know as well as I do that Spectra's been exceptionally quiet and then we get that report. You both were the ones that made the discovery."

"Yeah, yeah," Jason said hotly. "But that's just plain wacky. There's no way she could be fake, she seems like she always is." He glared at his commander. "Mark?"

"Hmmm," Mark said contemplatively. "It does make me think, considering how she's been with me lately."

"Really," Jason scoffed. "Are you gonna elaborate? And I thought you didn't believe in 'kiss and tell'."

Mark glared at his second when Anderson spoke sharply, "That's enough you two! I want you both to follow Princess and Lieutenant Addison very closely. And any sign of even the slightest abnormality, you report to me. Is that clear?"

Both gave the G-Force salute. "Yes, sir." The boys headed out into the hall and stopped to converse.

"Well, what do ya think, Skipper? How do you feel about this assignment?" Jason asked Mark.

The Eagle scowled as he said flatly, "I don't like playing Gestapo especially with one of my own teammates." He stared out as he added, "But in the off tense the chief is right, I wonder what that bastard Zoltar is planning. And what he's done with Princess." His hands balled into fists.

Jason saw the fierce look on Mark's even features and said, "Well, you said there's been a difference in her. I don't see it but you see her more than I do so you want to tell me what you think."

Mark's eyes darkenened to a stormy hue as he said slowly, "She's been a lot more,"

"Willing? Horny?"the Condor finished with a smirk.

His commander threw a thunderous look that told Jason he had entered forbidden territory as he ground out, "Affectionate. Princess unlike your bevy of bimboes is a lady and we try to restrain ourselveswhen we're together." He frowned as he said thoughtfully, "But lately she's been so aggressive it's really had me wondering."

Jason sighed as he said, "Well, Mark I guess we'll be finding out what picture the pieces of the puzzle will make. So we'd better get started, huh?"

Mark nodded grimly. "Yeah." Both took off to head to the computer room.

**NEXT…..BLOWN COVER**


	7. BLOWN COVER

_Author's Note: Here's the precursor to the big battle with Zoltar. Mark and Jason are both very suspicious and will be finding out that their suspicions are correct. And Princess is still trying to reach Mark. Thanks to all the readers and my faithful reviewers, I'm glad you're enjoying this._

_This chapter is dedicated to two faithful Gatchaman and BOTP fans whiteswan and Rottridge—I hope you guys like it. Rottridge—I'm an illustrator so that's why I use color references so much in my descriptions but I tried to curtail it in this chapter. Thanks for the review and I appreciate you-:) _

**BLOWN COVER**

The computer room at Center Neptune was actually a separate chamber in a catacomb of halls and raised catwalks, isolated from the rest of the busy complex that was the headquarters of the Interplanetary Federation. And being such, it was relatively secluded so anyone working within was totally beneath any type of scrutiny. So Randy and 'Princess' AKA Rula were pretty much on their own to complete the PAX on Earth project without interference. And so left to their own devices, the systematic sabotage of the PAX project was well into and nearing completion. Frequent communiqués with Zoltar on Spectra were received with enthusiasm.

"The project is almost finished, Lord Zoltar," Randy informed him.

"Excellent, excellent! Continue the fine work, Agent 666," the Spectran leader crowed, overjoyed by the quick progress. "Let me know when the job is complete. I will be leaving and on my way to Earth immediately."

"Yes, sir," Randy responded dutifully. He turned to Rula and asked, "Any ET on when we'll have the job done?"

She looked up from her configurations and replied, "Getting inpatient is he?"

Randy nodded as he said, "He's on his way here."

"Doesn't leave us much time, does it."

Randy shook his head. "Not this time but you know our leader. He's going to want to know when we're done so he can begin his attack on Earth."

She rose and stepped over to Addison, looping her arms around his neck. "Relax, love. It'll take a few days for Lord Zoltar to get here. I'll make sure the job is finished and done right." She planted a wanton kiss on the lieutenant as he groaned and responded, work temporarily forgotten. . . .

On Spectra Zoltar was exultant, his plans going better than they ever had before and he triumphantly contacted the Luminous One to give his report.

**_"Well, Zoltar, I hope you have something positive to impart to me concerning our objective. Or is this another prattling of useless information to create a false impression of success?"_**

Zoltar bowed before the apparition on the screen and replied, "On the contrary, sire. We may be the closest we have ever been to capturing and claiming Earth for our own."

The Luminous One sneered, **_"I shall believe that when I actually see it. But go ahead and tell me what you've accomplished so far."_**

"We've successfully infiltrated the Interplanetary Federation and are now nearly finished crippling their security system, the Benevolent Eye network. Our own probes have picked up immediate vulnerable areas within the galaxy that we can attack."

**_"Fine but I am not interested in the minor details. I am more interested in how close we are to conquering the Earth. That is our main objective after all."_**

Zoltar responded, "I know, oh Luminous One but in order to conquer Earth we must disable both the Federation and the BE network. And also, the new PAX anti-weapon is nearly operational and must be delayed so when we take over Earth, we can seize it."

**_"Well it appears you are well prepared, Zoltar…this time,"_** the spirit admitted. **_"But I am curious as to how you plan to accomplish this. And how you plan to fight G-Force for I am sure you are aware that they shall be involved as always."_**

Zoltar chortled as he replied, "That's the best part, sire. We also have infiltrated G-Force by capturing the female Princess and sending in an exact double to fool the troublesome whelps."

_**"Indeed? That does sound promising, Zoltar. Perhaps you will succeed this time after all."**_

Encouraged by the grudging approval Zoltar bowed deeply before the screen. "I will, sire. Have no doubt."

**_"I shall watch this with great anticipation. Do not disappoint me." _**

"This time we shall be victorious, oh Luminous One," Zoltar assured the apparition as the screen went black. In high spirits he whirled from the area to make a visit to the cell where Princess was being held.

The Swan was seated on a bench, still manacled at her wrists and ankles as she sat in the cell fighting rising feelings of despair as she tried to figure out a way of escape. She again tried to tap her communicator against the wall when the cell door slid open to admit the tall caped figure of the Spectran leader.

"Hello, my dear Swan. I do hope the accommodations continue to be to your liking," he purred.

Princess gave an unladylike snort. "Oh just fabulous, Zoltar. The finest death camp I've ever seen. You should be proud."

He chuckled, "We are. And so honored to have such an illustrious guest. But enough small talk, I came to tell you that you shall be leaving shortly so I will send in someone to fetch you when everything is ready."

"What exactly are you planning to do with me?" Princess asked tonelessly as she lowered her head.

Zoltar stepped closer and took hold of her chin to raise her head and gaze directly into her eyes. "Fear not, lovely Swan. Your usefulness is not exhausted, not yet so you are not going to perish. But you will be destroyed soon as will all your other G-Force comrades. Prepare for departure." He turned and exited as Princess again tried to send a Bird Scramble. . . .

Outside of the computer room, the Eagle and the Condor of G-Force stood in their birdstyle and discussed tactics.

Mark said, "Okay, here's the plan. We'll get up onto the framework above the computer room on the catwalks and observe then report to the chief. He's got a bit of a surprise for them."

Jason grinned, interested, "Oh yeah? What's that?"

Mark smiled evilly as he said, "He changed passwords to gain access to the computer configuration program. Princess told me that the machine automatically does that every 48 hours but Chief Anderson and President Kane can override that and change the password anytime they want to."

"Sweet!" Jason rubbed his hands together in fiendish satisfaction then asked hopefully, "What if our suspicions are correct? Do we apprehend them if we catch them red-handed?"

Mark frowned, thinking about it and then said reluctantly, "No, we'd better just stick to surveillance and then report to Anderson. If they are Spectra agents, we'll need to set a trap for them to catch them off guard."

"Damn, I just want to wail on 'em. You sure we can't get our licks in?"

Mark replied glumly, "Believe me buddy, I'd like nothing better but we gotta keep our cool. If they have Princess, her life depends on it."

The Condor sobered as he said, "Yeah I guess so. I hope she's okay."

Mark nodded and said fervently, "You and me both, Jason." His handsome features showed a mixture of fury and fear for the girl he loved.

"Don't worry Mark, she'll be okay." Jason reached over and patted his commander's shoulder. He smirked as he said, "Well, let's go and check things out."

As they readied themselves to leave, Mark's communicator made a weak beep as the light flashed pink for a split second before it stopped.

"What the hell?" Mark asked as he looked at his bracelet in confusion. He frowned as he glowered at the thing.

Jason came to his side and studied the communicator, which had now become silent. "What's up, cap?"

Mark replied dourly, "Nothing. The communicator made a sound but now it's quiet. Maybe a little glitch or something." _That was a Bird Scramble from Princess, I know it! But why did it stop?_

Jason frowned dubiously. "If you say so."

"I do. Let's go."

Both boys flew up to the structure framework and once up there, made their way across the catwalks, silently moving as they watched the computer room from above. Gradually they made their way to the main frame where the muffled voices of Randy and the impostor Princess floated up to them.

Mark gave a significant look to his second who nodded as they both listened and watched. . . .

Below, the two Spectra agents were unaware of the fact that they were being scrutinized and continued their task of sabotage as systematically they began to disrupt the operation of the BE network, rendering it disabled and vulnerable. But as they worked, they were becoming frustrated by the safeguards and firewalls put in place to deter such activity. The Federation, it seemed, had foreseen the possibility of some hostile faction or bitter enemy may try to cripple the huge galaxy watchdog.

They were facing one such barrier, an intricate device that had been interwoven into the main memory of the number one mainframe as part of its primary operation. To completely disconnect it would cause a massive computer failure that would alert the Federation immediately and would defeat the purpose of Spectra which was to attack with the element of surprise. So Randy and Rula were on the horns of a dilemma as they took a break and tried to figure out their next move.

"Damn it!" Addison swore. "This thing's gonna be impossible to get to, let alone render useless." He got up from the dolly and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Rula sighed as she tried again to bring up the software but found in dismay that Princess's password was denied. She remarked, "And I can't get into the software to reconfigure, the password is being rejected." She frowned as she stated, "I can't figure it out."

"You using the same password?" Randy asked in irritation.

"Uh-huh. The very one that Princess set up," Rula answered as she tried and was unsuccessful again.

Randy scowled as he uttered, "Great." He then came over to the monitor and watched as Rula tried again but her efforts were fruitless as once again the screen flashed ACCESS DENIED.

"Damn it to hell," Randy growled. He began pacing as he wracked his brains to figure out why they were suddenly being barred access to the software. . . .

Up above about thirty feet on the catwalk Mark and Jason were crouched by a hanging air vent and listened to the frustrated Spectran spies as they kept making futile attempts at getting into the computer. As Addison's curses floated up to his ears, Mark could not help but enjoy the fact that the arrogant lieutenant was completely frustrated in his attempt to sabotage the computer so he grinned as Jason snickered.

"Oh what a shame, looks like our boy Randy's having a hell of time, huh skipper," he stated in mock sympathy, sotto voce.

"Yeah, my heart bleeds for him," the Eagle muttered. Then his grin faded as he watched what happened next. . .

Down below Rula viewed her lover's distress and she rose to alleviate his pain. She sashayed over to Addison and wrapped her arms around him to offer support.

"Take it easy, baby," she purred as she planted kisses on the nape of his neck. "We'll figure it out."

Addison groaned as her ministrations broke though his frustrations and he grabbed her, responding enthusiastically as he began ravaging the fake Princess, taking her in a graphically passionate embrace. On the catwalk, his actions created a livid Eagle.

Mark scowled as he hissed, "That bastard! How dare he, I'll tear him in two!" He reached for his sonic boomerang and was ready to leap down but was halted as the Condor's hand stayed him.

"Whoa, easy there, commander. Remember that isn't the real Princess," Jason reminded him. "Careful or you'll blow our mission."

Mark thought in relief _that's right she isn't_ as his temper immediately evaporated and the cool reason of his common sense took over. He shook his head and chuckled as he said sheepishly, "Yeah, thanks Jason. I almost lost it."

Jason waved his hand airily. "No problem. But looks to me like you've got it bad for our girl. I'm surprised 'cause you never lose your cool."

Mark eyed his second askance as he said, "Contrary to popular belief on the team, I am human. I do have feelings and emotions like any other man."

Jason gave his commander a knowing smirk as they resumed their covert surveillance on the spies. . .

Below, Randy and Rula finally broke apart as she murmured, "I hope that made you feel better."

"Ummm," Randy replied as he recovered from the interlude. But as he came to full alertness he pulled away and said, "We've got to figure out a way to get back in there. Do you recall anything Princess might have said to let us know if we did something to lock out?"

Rula thought for a moment, wracking her brain to see if there was any bit of information she had gleaned from the bugs planted before Princess was abducted. She shook her head as she answered, "I can't recall anything."

Randy scowled as he said in an urgent tone, "We've got to figure out how to get back in. Can you try to override the password?"

Rula sighed as she went back to the terminal. "I can try…,"

On the catwalk, the Eagle raised his arm to contact the chief. "G-1 to Chief Anderson, come in, Chief Anderson."

The communicator immediately answered, "Anderson here, Mark. What's up?"

Mark spoke directly into the bracelet. "Chief, Jason and I are up in the infrastructure of the computer room and we can confirm our suspicions. Both Addison and the girl are Spectran spies sent to sabotage BE and PAX."

"I see. So Princess has been abducted." Anderson's usually neutral voice held an undercurrent of outraged anger.

"It appears that way, chief."

"Damn that Zoltar!" Anderson was uncharacteristically vehement.

"My sentiments exactly," Mark said dourly. "So what should we do now, apprehend them?"

"Not yet,"Anderson replied tersely. "Just stay where you are until you hear from me. When you do, I want you to capture the impostor Princess but for now lay low and wait. Over."

The bracelet went dead as Jason irately remarked, "So we just wait here?"

Mark's full mouth was in a grim line. "You heard the chief, Jason. We wait."

Jason scowled as he and Mark continued crouching by the air vent to listen and observe. . . .

At the terminal, the fake Princess was trying every means necessary as an expert hacker to override the security system and was finding failure at every turn. Frustration was mounting as she punched in sequence after sequence from Morse code, to alphabet, to numerical but to no avail as the access denied message came up repeatedly. She even tried to use symbols as that too proved to be futile.

"Damn!" Rula expostulated as Addison came to peer over her shoulder.

"Any luck?" he wanted to know.

She snapped as she whirled her head about to glare at him, "Does it look like I'm having luck?"

He backed up surprised by the vehemence in her manner and held up his hands. "Hey there, I'm on your side, remember, I just wanted to know."

Rula sighed as she apologized, "Sorry, love I'm just getting angry."

The beep of his communicator on his belt interrupted as Addison grabbed the receiver and barked, "Addison here."

The brisk baritone of Chief Anderson echoed as he commanded, "Lieutenant Addison, this is Chief Anderson. Report alone to my office on the double!"

Randy responded dutifully, "Immediately, sir." He tossed over his shoulder as he took off, "Keep trying to get in, I'll be right back."

"Okay." Rula resumed her task. . . .

Above on the catwalk Mark's communicator began to flash white. The Eagle spotted the signal and gestured to the Condor as both headed back to outside the computer room. They jumped down and both drew their left arms in an arc as they said in unison.

"Transmute!"

In a flash the men were again clad in their street clothes and so they discussed a last bit of strategy before descending upon their prey.

Mark began, "Okay here's what we'll do, Jason. We walk in there as if we don't know anything, like we're just there to drop in on our comrade. Then I'll give you a sign to get lost so I can be alone with her. But don't disappear."

"Gotcha," Jason said.

"Then I'll get her over to a corner like I'm gonna make out with her, but you make sure you watch where I'm taking her, then get over there and hide. Then when I've got her totally distracted, you sneak up from behind and together we nab her. Got it?"

Jason nodded as he stated, "Lead the way." Mark opened the door and both boys sauntered in casually, strolling through the maze of machinery.

Over at the terminal by Mainframe 7 the impostor Princess was still hard at work trying to crack the password to get into the configuration utility program and was in such deep concentration she did not notice that she had visitors. Her raven head bowed over the keyboard, she had no idea when Mark leaned down from behind and playfully nuzzled her neck as he inwardly recoiled in disgust.

"Guess who?" he murmured seductively.

Completely taken by surprise, Rula jumped in fright, whirling around as she became face to face with the Eagle and Condor, the latter wearing a rather nasty grin.

Mark apologized, "Sorry we startled you honey, but Jason and I had a case of cabin fever so we bailed from the Ready Room for a break and decided to come and see you. You don't mind, do ya?"

Rula pasted a smile on her face as she rose and edged over to him. "Mind? Why should I? I'm glad to see you, I need a break myself." She draped her arms about Mark's broad shoulders and pressed in close to him, placing soft kisses on his neck.

Mark began to respond, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist as he gave a significant look to Jason, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Hey Jason, wanna get lost? I want some time alone with Princess."

Jason gave a salute. "Sure mon capitaine." He began to leave as he said, "Now kiddies, don't do anything I wouldn't do." He then rounded the corner and left.

Rula cradled Mark's face as she continued to kiss him. She then stopped and gazed into the soft cerulean orbs focused on her as she suggested, "Why don't we steal away and have some quality time?"

Mark smiled at her as he took her by the elbow. "Great idea. Let's find some place right here." He spotted Jason and pulled her toward the side wall amid her protests.

"But why don't we just sneak over to our quarters?" she asked with a pout. "At least there we can be sure we're not disturbed. Randy's due back at any minute."

But Mark was undaunted as he continued to lead her to where he saw Jason go. "Oh, I think we'll have plenty of time, baby. So c'mon let's have some fun."

He was sweetly persuasive as he caressed her and she was eagerly responsive and blissfully unaware as he gradually guided her away from the computer terminal. He then took hold of Rula's shoulders and slowly backed her into the wall where the Condor was standing. Mark had smoothly maneuvered the Spectran agent Princess lookalike so she was boxed in, sandwiched between him and Jason. Perplexed, the girl turned and saw the smirking visage of Jason right behind her and Mark's now impassive face before her and tittered nervously as she felt a prickle of unease.

"Okay you guys what's the deal? Mark, what's going on?"

Mark's eyes became suddenly cold as he ordered, "Grab her."

Jason immediately took Rula's arms in a viselike grip as he painfully squeezed her arms rendering her motionless. She let out a squeal as she again as she tried to ascertain their actions.

"Owww, you're hurting me, Jason! Mark, what the hell's going on?"

Mark grinned unpleasantly as he said right in her face. "Why don't you tell me,…_Princess?_"

She stammered, "W—why are you two acting this way?"

Mark replied coolly, "You're cold busted, babe. We know you're from Spectra, sent here by Zoltar."

Rula protested, "Y-you're wrong! Don't you know me, I'm Princess. Y-you have to believe me."

Jason lost his patience. "Save it, sweetie. We know all about your little game. You're not Princess so why don't you just cut the crap and tell us where that bastard Zoltar is holding the real Princess?"

Now petrified by the uncovering of her deception, Rula like all Spectran low lives had a sense of self-preservation and began to put the blame on her cohort to save her own skin.

"It's Randy who's done the major damage," she whined. "I was just sent here by Zoltar to assist him. He's the one you want."

Jason rolled his eyes as Mark said in derision, "Typical Spectran MO. No honor among thieves."

"Yeah." Jason said as he reached in his waistband for a cord he had thought to bring and began to bind Rula's arms, deftly tying her so she had no use of her arms. But now in a panic, she leaned back and kicked Mark in the breadbasket with all her strength sending him sprawling on his back as she wrestled herself free and tried to run away.

"Why you little---," Jason growled as he gave chase and made a flying tackle, landing solidly on her petite frame. He got on his knees and wrenched her back, holding her in a half Nelson as Mark recovered from his attack and knelt down in front of her speaking in a low dangerous tone.

"You know, in all my life I never struck a woman. Or even wanted to up to now," he ground out. "But I'm gonna change my mind real fast unless you cooperate and tell us what we want to know." He took her arm and the three of them rose as Jason released her and she fell forward gasping.

"Y-you almost killed me!"she rasped as she turned and glared at Jason.

He shrugged indolently as he said, "Yeah, almost. I guess it just isn't my day."

Mark had absolutely no sympathy as he grabbed Rula by the arm and demanded, "We're going to Chief Anderson's office. Now move." Flanking her, they hustled Rula out of the computer room. . . .

In Chief Anderson's office, the security chief for the Interplanetary Federation stood behind his desk waiting as the panel door to his office slid open and admitted the Lieutenant Addison who smartly saluted the superior.

"Lieutenant Addison reporting, Chief Anderson, sir."

Anderson eyed the man with veiled contempt as he said curtly, "At ease, lieutenant. I've one question for you and I expect a straight answer. Are you responsible for the computer failure in Vector Neptune?"

Randy blanched slightly as a slight sweat began beading his forehead but he quickly recovered his aplomb as he replied, "Of course not, sir."

"I see," the chief intoned. "And that's your final word?"

"Yes it is, sir. Why would you think I was responsible?"

"I have my sources," Anderson snapped as he pressed a button and instantly two burly Federation MPs entered bearing laser rifles. They surrounded Addison as the lieutenant became dismayed.

"Begging your pardon, sir but I'm afraid I don't understand," Randy insisted but to no avail as Anderson ordered the soldiers.

"This man is to be placed under arrest. Take him into custody."

The Federation sentries began to cuff Randy and he began to protest as the other panel door slid open and Mark and Jason entered with the girl Rula who was identical to Princess. They escorted her into the office and beside her cohort. The two exchanged glances.

Anderson stated, "So this is the impostor, huh." He peered at Rula, examining her by leaning over and taking her chin in his hand, which she jerked away. He remarked in grudging admiration, "I have to hand it to Zoltar, he really did a thorough job, she's a mirror image of Princess."

"Yeah," Mark said sardonically. "In all ways but one. Princess is not a slut." He eyed the girl in disgust.

Rula glared at the Eagle as she retorted, "You didn't seem to mind when we were together."

Anderson barked, "Enough!" He pushed a button and summoned two more MPs as he announced, "We'll be putting the two of you in the holding cell until we discover what Zoltar's plan is."

Randy sneered, "You won't have long to wait. Lord Zoltar and his forces are on their way here. You should be getting ready to surrender to your conquerors the great planet of Spectra!"

"Is that so?" Jason inquired as he got into Addison's face. "Maybe we won't since we can use you two as bargaining chips." He added conversationally, "And knowing his low value on life I sure he won't refuse a couple of corpses."

Rula laughed unpleasantly as she countered, "You're forgetting one small fact. We still have your Princess." Her face was contemptuously triumphant.

At that blunt statement and Rula's smug attitude Mark's steely self-control snapped and he became enraged. He grabbed the doppelganger roughly and began shaking her like a dog.

"You witch, you tell us what Zoltar's done with her or I'll take great pleasure in wringing your pretty neck." His action was unexpected and caught everybody by surprise, as the chief and the Condor both watched with wide eyes.

Both Anderson and Jason pulled Mark away from the girl and the chief motioned to the MPs. "Take them both away to the cell now."

"Yes, sir." The sentries put handcuffs on Rula and in moments both Spectran saboteurs were ushered out of the office leaving Anderson, Jason, and a still livid Mark who was breathing heavily, his fury evident.

He snapped, "So what the hell do we do now? Zoltar's got Princess and who knows what he's done to her!"

"Yeah, we need to get right out and find her," Jason snarled, his own temper at a boiling point. "If that rotten bastard's done anything to hurt her--,"

Anderson contemplated the two furious young men and opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the panel door opening yet again and the arrival of the other two members of G-Force, Tiny and Keyop. Both rushed over to Anderson's desk.

Keyop in a temper angrily demanded, "Burrrp!----want to know now-------burrrp------what's going on?"

"Yeah," Tiny added his own anger and frustration apparent. "We're a part of this team too. Or did you all forget?"

Mark sighed deeply as he again reined in his emotions to take command. "Guys, I'm sorry. You're right, you need to know what's happening and we're going to tell you."

Anderson nodded as he said, "We've just discovered that the PAX on Earth project has been compromised by spies from Spectra. They replaced Princess with an impostor."

Both Tiny and Keyop stared incredulously as the Owl said, "You gotta be yankin' me!"

Anderson shook his head as he said in concern, "I wish we were, Tiny. It appears that Zoltar has captured her so they could plant a double to work with their other spy, Lieutenant Addison."

Keyop insisted, "Burrrp---always knew there was something funny------burrrp----about him."

Mark patted the boy on the shoulder as he agreed, "So did I, Keyop."

Jason in his usual impatience snapped, "Okay, fine. So we know that Princess was a phony and that Zoltar's nabbed the real Princess. So what are standing around here yakking for? Let's go get her back!"

Everybody nodded in agreement but Anderson held up a hand. "Not so fast, team. I'm as anxious as you are to rescue her but we need to know exactly what Zoltar has planned."

"Maybe Zark can tell us something," Tiny suggested.

"Good thinking, Tiny," Mark said with alacrity. And as if on cue, the screen communicator panel lit up with the amiable robot's image.

"Sorry to disturb you Chief Anderson sir," the mechanical being apologized. "But I just received a message from Susan out on Planet Pluto. A convoy of Devil Star craft from Spectra have left their orbit and are headed toward the Milky Way and Earth."

All the boys eyed Anderson as he responded, "We figured as much. Zark, we've discovered that Spectra has infiltrated Center Neptune by attempting to sabotage the PAX on Earth project. And they went so far as to capture Princess and replace her with an impostor."

"Oh my!" Zark expostulated. "Do want me to dispatch G-Force?"

"That's not necessary, Zark," Mark replied. "We're all here and aware of the situation and awaiting the final word from Chief Anderson." He directed his gaze to their leader.

Anderson did not hesitate as he ordered, "Get to the Phoenix immediately!"

"G-Force!" The four youths saluted then turned and sprinted out.

**NEXT…..SHOWDOWN IN OUTER SPACE**


	8. SHOWDOWN IN OUTER SPACE

_Author's Note: Once again I apologize for the length in between updates. I wrote this because of another hole in the synopsis that had to be filled and this makes the story more intriguing in the next chapter as I came up with some interesting ideas for the battle coming up. Thanks to all the readers and the faithful reviewers. This chapter was over twelve pages so I hope it makes up for the delay…Enjoy!_

**SHOWDOWN IN OUTER SPACE**

The Phoenix was in her bay, ready and waiting as the four birdstyle clad young men sprinted in and then leapt up to the boarding platform and the glass canopy enclosed around them as the platform lowered them into the craft. Once inside, the remaining four members of G-Force entered the bridge and took their places, with Tiny at the helm and the commander to his right. The burly Owl sat before the controls and did an abbreviated pre-flight check, making sure all was a go. Satisfied, he then pushed the buttons that ignited the engines, spilling out orange than blue flames as the thrusters engaged. The hold then filled with water as the enormous hatch slid open to let the craft into the deep of the underwater and then it ascended to the surface to head up into the atmosphere.

Since Princess was not with them the preliminary flight coordinates were given by Jason. "Alttitude 2000 feet and rising, weather is clear and jet stream wind velocities at about 150 to 200 mph."

"Thanks Jason," Tiny said as he kept a steady hand on the thrusters and with the help of the jet stream rapidly gaining speed to Mach 2 as they headed to the stratosphere and then entered the ionosphere as they left the earth.

Mark commanded, "Jason, contact Zark immediately to get the latest Spectran activity in the Solar System as far out as the early warning system on Pluto."

"Big ten, chief." The Condor flipped the switch and the overhead screen of the communicator came to life, with multicolored snow as he fine-tuned the screen for transmission. He spoke out, "Zark, this is the Phoenix, you got your ears on?"

Zark's mechanical visage emerged from the snowy screen as he replied, "Affirmative, Jason."

Mark asked, "What do you have for us?"

The robot answered, "I just heard from Susan on Pluto that the sonar has picked up the vibrations of a fleet of enemy craft heading towards the solar system from the Crab Nebula from the general vicinity of Spectra."

"Where exactly are they? Do you have specific coordinates?"

"They are exactly a half a light year from entering our solar system and traveling at just below warp speed."

The Eagle scowled as he demanded, "Anything else?"

"Affirmative, commander. I was just informed that a call went out to Riga to see if Colonel Cronus could intercept them and assist in the rescue of Princess."

His frustration mounting, Mark's hands balled into fists as he asked tersely, "And who authorized that?"

Zark answered, "Security Chief Anderson on orders from President Kane. Riga offered their full cooperation upon discovering the breach into Operation PAX on Earth."

Mark snorted as he thought bitterly _that figures. Princess is in the hands of the quintessential megalomaniac Zoltar and the Federation is more worried about their precious PAX. After what happened with the flowers, why am I not surprised?_

"So are we to contact Cronus as well?" Jason inquired irritably.

Zark replied dutifully, "Chief Anderson said that he would contact you. In the meantime, you are to continue to head off to rendezvous with the enemy craft. I wish you good luck, team."

"Thanks Zark. Over and out." The screen went dark and Mark sighed as he stated, "Well, you heard him, team. We'll keep heading out until we--,"

The communication screen flashing the hawk like visage of Riga's inter space command, Colonel Cronus, interrupted his statement. "Cronus to G-Force, come in."

Mark responded, "G-Force here."

The colonel spoke sympathetically, "I'm sorry to hear about Princess. But I want to assure you that my fleet of Red Rangers are on our way."

Mark answered, "I'm glad to hear that. Where are you right now?"

"We're approximately half way between Riga and Pluto. Our sonar has zeroed in on the advancing Spectran craft and they are--,"

"We know, Zark just told us," the Eagle said brusquely.

"Fine," Cronus responded. "Then I suggest we meet and discuss strategy. I'll meet and dock with the Phoenix just past the last moon of Uranus. We should be there in six hours." The screen went black.

Jason scoffed, "Hmmph, I guess we've been given our orders." He went on as he added with resentment, "Why is it that whenever Cronus is involved, we automatically begin acting like we're under his command?"

Keyop remarked, "Brrrp—yeah. Bit bossy."

Mark whirled and regarded the two with a warning in his steely orbs. "You two cool it. If the chief and President Kane have engaged the assistance of Colonel Cronus and the Red Rangers, we are to do everything in our power to cooperate. Remember what we have at stake here."

"Right," Tiny agreed from his pilot seat. "We gotta rescue Princess."

Jason and Keyop both nodded in grim determination. . . .

Down on Earth, the ultra high security prison for the Federation was located in the lower regions of Center Neptune. In the tightly guarded facility, the two Spectran spies, Addison and Rula were incarcerated in separate cells as Federation MPs made frequent checks.

One guard, a lanky redhead met with his colleague just outside of the cells, a rather swarthy and muscular fellow that had a gruff demeanor.

"How's it hanging, Mitch?"

"Low and limp," quipped Mitch as his partner snickered. He gestured to the closed door that held the Princess lookalike, Rula. "So how's the little lady doing?"

"She's a disappointment, Red," Mitch said glumly. "I heard she was real friendly to the Eagle and when I brought her food in, she barely gave me a glance."

Red grinned as he pointed out. "Yeah, well you're not the Eagle."

Mitch bristled as he retorted, "Hey, I've had my share of hot babes."

And the debate continued, fading as the men strode away. . .

From inside her cell, Rula listened to the sophomoric prattle between the Federation MPs and sneered as she thought in derision _what mutton headed fools! Lord Zoltar is right, these cretins are so inferior to us Spectrans that we'd be doing them a favor when we take over this planet._

"I glad you agree with us, Rula," Mala's low alto spoke and Rula whirled about in her cell and saw the tall blonde sister of the supreme high ruler standing proudly. She jumped to her feet and bowed in respect.

"Lady Mala, I'm surprised but honored. When I contacted Spectra and informed them of our capture I never---, " She bowed lower but Mala waved at her impatiently.

"Save it, Rula. We have no time for fawning, thanks to your and 666's blundering we've fallen short of our main objective. But we do have a bargaining chip in the captured Swan so all is not completely lost. Hold your tongue and take my hand." The Spectran super spy reached and grasped her hand and reached on the buckle of her belt to push a button but the doppleganger pulled back and hesitated.

"What about Randy?" she asked worriedly.

Mala grabbed her hand and snapped, "He's fine and is being taken care of. Now come along, we must hurry back to the Devil Star. G-Force is on their way and we must be there to finish them off."

Rula nodded as Mala pushed the button and they both vanished. . .

On the Phoenix as it hurtled through space past Neptune, the air was tense as all of the boys were deep in their own individual reveries, all focused on revenge of their archenemy and the status of their sister, teammate, friend and love respectively. Huddled in his seat, Keyop felt his tears flow as he fretted about Princess, his mind filled with pictures of his times with her, on missions past and in lighter moments when they had their jam sessions in the Ready Room. He stifled a sob as he prayed for her safe return.

Directly across Jason sat with a dark scowl, brooding as he imagined himself pummeling Spectran goons like punching dummies as he made his way to Zoltar. He smirked unpleasantly as he pictured the Spectran leader's throat in his hands as he slowly, inexorably squeezed the life out of the bastard. Eager for battle he took a deep breath as his rage burned and his teeth clenched.

Over at the pilot's seat the most benign of the group, Tiny the Owl sat and mused as he guided the spacecraft through the cosmos, his mind as the others on Princess. He would never admit it but he had at one time had a secret crush on the pretty girl with the raven tresses, hoping that she would look at him just once the way she looked at Mark. It was apparent for a while now that the Eagle and the Swan had fallen for each other and had pursued a clandestine relationship with each other by nature of the fleeting yet meaningful glances they exchanged frequently, even when they thought nobody was looking. Yet the defining proof was when Princess had been captured by the fierce flowers, after he had dumped his fuel on the killer blossoms to burn them and thought he had killed her, Mark was inconsolable as he became bitter and isolated himself from the team. It was only her bird scramble that snapped him out of his deep despair to go and rescue her.

Tiny sighed softly as he glanced surreptitiously to his right where the G-Force commander sat ramrod straight as if he were at attention. He appeared as always determinedly stoic with the only barometer of his state of emotion being the tightly balled hands on the armrests of his seat and the way his jaw was clenched beneath his visor.

_Poor Mark he's really taking this hard. First we almost lose Princess to those lousy flowers and now this. It must be blowing his mind and he's got to stay strong to lead all of us. I wouldn't trade places with him for all the Space Burgers in the universe _the Owl said to himself as he turned back to watch the black void of space.

Over in the command chair Mark was in the midst of a tempest of emotions, percolating below his calm façade and causing turmoil within. He was swamped with memories both recent and distant of his times with Princess. He remembered the cold desolation he felt when he thought he had caused her to perish in the conflagration of the fierce flowers from Spectra and how without her he was empty, a hollow shell with no reason to go on. He then remembered how after confessing their feelings to each other they both had come together recently as a couple and enjoyed the relationship of two normal teenagers in love. His heart constricted painfully as he pondered the possibility that Zoltar had succeeded in capturing and killing her and it ignited a fury in him that he had never experienced before even rivaling that of perpetual hothead Jason.

"_Princess." _Mark closed his azure eyes tightly as he silently vowed _I'll save you baby, I swear it. And if that son of a bitch Zoltar has harmed a hair on your head I'll tear him apart with my bare hands. So please be strong and wait for me. _

Jason's tenor drawl shook him out of his reverie. "The high frequency radar is showing three blips that are friendly craft approaching rapidly from the vicinity of Charon near Pluto, Mark. Must be Cronus and the Red Rangers from Riga."

"Wait till they come into range and establish contact with them ASAP. We need to establish a rendezvous point." Mark directed as he spied the blips on his command seat radar screen as well.

"Big ten," the Condor answered as he continued monitoring the screen. . .

Back in the detention area on Center Neptune, the guards Mitch and Red returned to do their check on the Spectran spies as well as bringing the evening meal. Both glanced at the trays of sustenance and made their wry observations.

"Humph, looks like the prisoners eat better then us," Mitch pointed out as he saw the steak and vegetables on the plate of the meal for Rula. "Usually all we get is chipped beef on toast."

"Yeah," Red agreed as he saw the same on Randy's tray. "But that's because of the Venus Convention. Heaven forbid we be accused of inhumane treatment of prisoners of war, the politicians on the Federation board would be calling for our heads."

Mitch gave a sardonic snort as he said, "Ain't that the truth." He sighed as he directed "Let's go feed the animals."

He went to Rula's cell door and pushed the panel button to let himself in. "Okay lady, chow time. Come and get it." He put the tray on a table by the twin bed and glanced in the direction of the restroom.

"Hey, in there your dinner's here." Annoyed, Mitch went over, knocked loudly on the door and was surprised to find it empty. Now alarmed he ran out and called to his coworker.

"Yo, Red! You're not gonna believe this, the girl's gone."

Red also came out in a state of dismay. "So's the guy. What the hell happened?"

Mitch snapped, "What do you think? They escaped, probably with the help of Spectra."

Red was incredulous. "How could they have gotten in here, this is a top security Federation facility."

Mitch shrugged as he said, "Search me. But on the chance they're still here we'd better get a dragnet going throughout Center Neptune and let Security Chief Anderson know what's happened." He pushed the alarm button and the lights flashed and klaxons sounded the alert. A split second after the alarm sounded, Chief Anderson's irate voice barked over the PA system:

**Code Green! Code Green! All military police and prison guards are to report to the lower quad on the double!**

"Whooo, he sounds pissed," Red said. "Ya suppose he knows about the break out already?"

"Are you kiddin'? Anderson knows everything around here."

Red stated, "Then we'd better haul ass."

Mitch agreed, "Yeah." Both MPs took off at a dead sprint. . . .

Out past the orbit of Uranus, the Phoenix was meeting with the Red Ranger fleet from Earth's sister planet of Riga and the head craft, piloted by Colonel Cronus docked with the G-Force craft. He had contacted the Phoenix and chosen a place to dock with them and meet to devise a battle plan. The docking complete, he then boarded for the meeting to discuss tactics and draw up a plan to rescue Princess. Tiny had the Phoenix on autopilot as the tall imposing man in red entered the bridge and joined the foursome.

Mark rose and strode over to greet Cronus, proffering his hand. "Good to see you, sir."

Cronus returned the gesture shaking the Eagle's hand heartily. "I'm glad that we can help. Have you gotten any communication from Zoltar about Princess?"

"Brrp---not a—brrrp—thing," Keyop piped up, his face showing his fear. He and Princess had grown close like brother and sister and deep down he was terrified for her.

"Yeah, the bastard hasn't made a peep so far," Jason explained, irritated. "The skinny we got was from Zark and Susan on Pluto. But we know he's got to have her on the convoy heading this way."

Mark added, "We captured the impostor and her accomplice in the main computer room on Center Neptune. They're both in custody now."

No sooner had he spoke those words, the screen on the main communicator panel lit up with Anderson's tense visage. "Team, we have a grave situation. Both Spectran spies have vanished."

Shock claimed the features of the party of five in the Phoenix. Jason uttered a curse as Mark snapped, "What are you saying? What do you mean, disappeared?"

Anderson replied tersely, "The MPs have reported that both prisoners have literally vanished. Upon the last check and meal run both cells were vacant. All military personnel are combing the area trying to find them."

"Oh, that's a comfort," Jason said sarcastically as Mark shot him a warning glare.

Cronus then spoke up, "Chief Anderson, Colonel Cronus here. I'm sure that the Spectran prisoners were rescued by the advancing force via telekinesis. You know that Zoltar has that capability as long as he's close by."

Anderson nodded as he rejoined, "I figured that. When the MPs assigned to the prisoners told me they disappeared I knew that Spectra had broken them out. It reminds me of that incident prior to all the troubles with PAX which occurred after the report of a possible Spectran landing." He addressed Mark, "You recall that incident, Commander?"

Mark replied, "Affirmative, chief. Jason and I had found signs of a Spectran ship in the desert north having been there but then not a trace of one anywhere afterward."

Anderson said, "The signs from that incident and the prisoners disappearing all indicate a Spectran operation in progress. We need to find and defeat them before they reach our solar system. And finding Princess is top priority."

"Brrrp---don't have to tell me twice----brrrp!" Keyop grumbled. . . .

Out at the edge of the Crab Nebulae the Spectran Devil Star was reaching the galaxy edge at near warp speed when on the command deck the landing pods began to glow with eerie light then four shadows appeared within. Zoltar approached the pods as his sister Mala, Rula, Randy and a Spectran guard all materialized.

The lanky Spectran leader crowed in delight. "Well I see mission accomplished and successful, dear sister."

Mala nodded as she rejoined, "At least this part of the mission was." She eyed the two spies meaningfully while they lowered their heads and flinched at the implication.

Rula, however, raised her head and defended herself. "Lady Mala, it's true we didn't finish sabotaging PAX but rest assured we've done enough damage to severely disable it."

Mala tossed her long blonde mane and said scornfully, "You may think that will suffice but we here with Spectra find accepting substandard work totally unsatisfactory." At the girl's unease she added, "But I am giving you a chance to redeem yourself."

"Yes," echoed Zoltar. "So go and prepare yourself below."

Randy spoke up, "Lord Zoltar, what am I to do?"

The Spectran leader sneered as he stepped up to the hapless spy. "666, you have completely bungled this assignment and I have little tolerance for incompetence." He sighed in mock regret as Randy paled visibly.

"W-what are you planning to do with me?" he asked as terror rose inside and made him sick.

Zoltar chuckled as he replied amiably, "Oh, nothing really. Just what I do to other incompetents."

And before he could even take a breath, Randy felt a choking, malevolent force squeeze his windpipe, cutting of his oxygen and his vision became blurry then black. The Spectran spy pitched forward, dead as Zoltar shook his head in pity.

"Tsk, tsk. It was a shame that you couldn't fulfill your duties but Spectra can't afford to have incompetents fouling up the grand design, to render Earth helpless and at our mercy."

He whirled and came before the communication board where he pushed a button to summon his subordinates. A few moments later a pair of Spectran guards came into the bridge.

Zoltar gestured dispassionately at the corpse of Randy Addison. "Dispose of that and then go below to the cell of our lovely guest. I shall meet you there presently." He dematerialized leaving them to the grisly task.

Both guards bowed obediently and said, "Yes, Lord Zoltar," then did as they were bid. . .

Down in her cell Princess sat on the floor with her wrists bound trying to fight the overwhelming despair that threatened with steel resolve to escape and get back to Mark and the team. She was quite the worse for the wear as Zoltar and his sister Mala had tried interrogating her about PAX and at her resolve to say nothing they struck her repeatedly as she remained incapacitated and unable to retaliate. Afterwards her lovely face bore the evidence of their cruelty but thanks to the regenerative quality of her cerebonic implant she had just the tiniest of bruises on her otherwise flawless cheeks. Also, even in the face of the abuse, she kept her mind focused on seeing all of them, her family again and she was determined to make her hopes come true. With that in mind, she tried to loosen the bonds with renewed vigor just as Zoltar made his entrance.

The tall, caped villain appeared before the Swan and she jumped up and backed away warily. "What do you want, Zoltar?"

He laughed as he took hold of her face and she recoiled showing revulsion on her delicate features. "Getting anxious are we?"

She gave an unladylike snort as she replied derisively, "I just prefer knowing what is coming up for me. I don't appreciate being in the dark."

"But my dear Swan, don't you see? The element of surprise can add to the enjoyment of the game."

"Is that what all this is?" Princess inquired. "Another one of your sick games to destroy G-Force and mankind? You're insane."

Zoltar laughed again, thoroughly enjoying himself as he replied, "I'm just savoring the moment. You G-Force brats have thwarted me long enough and to know victory is close is quite intoxicating."

Princess said sourly, "Yeah, I bet. You must be thrilled."

"Oh, I'm very pleased that this particular plan would be the one that would reap success. The PAX system is a stroke of genius and the perfect tool for Spectra to bring the entire universe under its submission. Soon every living being will be under the sovereign rule of Spectra or face total annihilation. It means victory is assured as I'm sure other planets will not want to see their populations wiped out. With PAX we'll have the winning hand and the destruction of G-Force will be the opening act. I have a very nice little amusement in store before I begin the takeover"

"Amusement?"

"Yes, I'm looking forward to playing with you all before you are destroyed then off to claim the universe as the spoils. With everyone under my control to use as I see fit. Very enjoyable."

Princess spoke in disgust, "And you just had in mind to play with us and then wreak havoc with billions of lives at stake, as if it were all one big game."

Zoltar laughed maniacally as he stated, "Not at all, quite the contrary. Taking over the universe is paramount and once G-Force, Earth, and the IPF are eliminated, they will have no choice but to accept their fate. Once the rest of the universe sees Spectra as its ruler they will see no other way, not if they want to continue living. The game is just added entertainment to the main event."

"I'm afraid to ask what kind of weird game you have in mind," the Swan said wryly.

Zoltar said enigmatically, "You'll see." He then went up to her and dissolved her bonds, freeing her completely. He then invited, "Feel free to transform to your G-Force garb anytime, I want you at full strength for the festivities."

Princess rubbed her now loosened wrists and she eyed him distrustfully as he turned to push the panel button and let himself out. But he turned back and gave her a parting shot. "But a friendly warning. There are guards posted out here with orders to shoot to kill if you try to escape. However, by all means do prepare yourself for the fun, Swan. It will begin shortly," he said laughing as the door slid closed.

She scowled and said nothing as his evil cackling echoed down the hall. . . .

Meanwhile, on the Phoenix the game plan was nearing completion with the final tactics were being discussed by Colonel Cronus and the rest of G-Force. Cronus and Mark, as the commanding officers both gave ideas with the rest of the team chipping in as they all had one goal in mind, to rescue Princess. Right now the men were speculating on the actual whereabouts of their missing comrade as they decided on what tact to take.

"Hmmph," Jason grunted. "So we're saying we really have no idea where Zoltar's got Princess stashed but I'll lay odds that the bastard has her with him on his ship. And if that's the deal then we gotta just head over there, take her back, and waste 'im."

"Burrrp---yeah, blow him away!" Keyop exclaimed, his button eyes black with fury.

"Easy you two," Mark cautioned. "Until we're sure he's holding her on the ship that's heading this way we can't be rash and go off half cocked, we'll be flying right into his hands."

"Yeah, but we can't just sit on our asses while Zoltar's got her," the irate Condor pointed out, his impatience evident.

Colonel Cronus then spoke. "Jason, I'm as anxious as you are to rescue Princess. But your commander is right when he says we need to move with caution. I'm sure Zoltar is hoping that the team's emotions will be running high and cause you all to act in haste, making you all very vulnerable."

"The colonel and Mark are right," Tiny agreed. "We should wait till we know just where Zoltar's got Princess."

As if on cue, the communicator screen lit up with the demonic visage of the hated adversary, his expression rife with gloating over his advantage.

"Ahh, greetings G-Force. I hope this finds you all well."

Mark's azure orbs narrowed to slits and he glowered as he addressed the screen. "You know the answer to that, Zoltar. So why don't you just cut to the chase and let us know where our teammate is."

"In due time. First, I would like to issue for an invitation to my ship for a little friendly entertainment."

His patience wearing thin, Mark snapped, "We have no time to indulge in your little amusements, Zoltar. Now tell me what you've done with Princess!"

"Pity you're being so difficult," the Spectran cackled with unsuppressed glee. "Maybe this will change your mind." The screen changed to a picture that caused Mark's heart to skip a beat then plummet down to his belly like a stone. Cronus and the rest of the team slowly approached the communicator with a gasp.

A limp form in a pink mini dress replete with white wings and a yellow visor that resembled the graceful bird that favored area ponds was being supported by two Spectran goons, her head lowered. The five men all gazed at the view in rapt but horrified fascination.

Jason spoke first. "You bastard!" he growled.

Keyop's eyes brimmed with tears as he saw the girl he adored as a sister in obvious distress. "Y—you monster!" he ground out as he fought breaking down.

Tiny grasped Keyop's thin shoulders as he offered comfort. "Take it easy, buddy."

"How touching," sneered Zoltar. "It warms the cockles of my heart."

"What heart?" Jason snorted in disgust. "You have none, you reptile. And this just proves it."

The maniacal Spectran laughed uproariously as he asked the Eagle directly, "And what about you, G-force commander? Surely you have a comment on the condition of your lover."

Mark's reaction was to be speechless as his emotions showed clearly in the way his hands had balled into tight fists, straining his blue gloves and his face, which was thunderous. At that moment, his dearest desire was to tear Zoltar apart with his bare hands and he longed for the opportunity.

"Oh, this is priceless. The mighty Eagle is rendered helpless by the sight of his beloved, in our loving hands. How utterly delightful."

The Red Ranger colonel studied Mark and saw the swirling emotions bubbling inside the young commander as an underlying current of fear was plain in his tormented eyes. Zoltar had no idea that his sick little show had actually managed to do what other prior attacks failed to do, neutralized and demoralized G-Force. He knew how hard Mark was trying desperately to show his enemy that they were not a weakened front when in reality, they were. Feeling he had to support his son with his jaw firmly clenched, Cronus' cheek twitched in a tic below the dark visor as his own fury built inside.

"Zoltar, this time you've gone too far. Even this is unbelievable for you."

The Spectran warlord chortled as he acknowledged the Rigan commander. "Ahh, Colonel Cronus so you're in the mix, eh? That makes this even more interesting."

"I'm sure. So just tell us where to meet you and we'll be there."

"Very well," Zoltar acquiesced. "We will meet you at the area between the dark side of Charon and Planet X in your Solar System in 36 earth hours. Be prepared for the worst when you come."

After his extended silence Mark spoke for the first time his baritone low and emotionless. "We'll be there."

"Excellent G-Force. I look forward to it." The madman laughed once and the screen went black, leaving the atmosphere on the bridge of the Phoenix thick with tension with all the boys in states of suspended animation, frozen before the communicator. The Rigan commander saw the need to mobilize the team from their inertia so he rallied the troops.

Cronus spoke with alacrity. "All right G-Force. I'll head back to my craft and we'll depart at once."

Tiny snapped a salute as he said, "Right away." He turned to rush over to the pilot's seat when he was detained by the Condor's hand.

"Hold it, Tiny. The only one who can give us orders is _our_ commander." He gave Cronus a challenge in the meaningful glance as he addressed Mark. "So whattya say, Skipper?"

Mark was oblivious as he still stood at the blank screen and visualized the battered Swan as she was in the Spectran clutches. His mind was trying to comprehend what torture she had experienced at the enemy's hands and it added fuel to the burning fire in the pit of his belly.

"Well?" Jason demanded as his own frustration showed.

Mark turned slowly from the screen and met Jason eye to eye. "Get to your posts and prepare for departure immediately!" he barked.

"Yessir!" they chorused as they got into position leaving the two commanding officers standing at the communication panel.

Cronus stood before the Eagle and offered his hand. "I'll see you soon." In an aside he added, "We'll get her back, I promise."

Numbly Mark nodded a thanks to the taciturn Cronus as the latter headed to the disembark pod. The commander of G-Force just stood there watching as the panel slid closed and then was coldly focused as he strode to his command seat. He sat down then addressed the others.

"Let's roll, team."

The trio gave him a salute, "G-Force!" and they were off. . . .

**NEXT…..ZOLTAR'S SHELL GAME**


	9. ZOLTAR'S SHELL GAME

_Author's Note: Once again my deepest apologies for the lengthy wait for an update—I got busy with work and some health issues and of course ran into the dreaded writer's block. Then, something very uncool happened last night when I had this chapter almost finished, my computer shut the document down without saving my work so I had to rewrite two entire scenes, about two pages worth of work—Ugh! Anyway I huge nod to my good friend Freddo whose brilliant Starblazers saga helped create some vital elements in this chapter, as inspiration only, never plagiarizing. And a big thanks to all those reading and reviewing and those who made me a favorite or put this story on alert. There's about two more chapters to go after this so enjoy._

**ZOLTAR'S SHELL GAME**

The black void of space, speckled with points of light that represented other star systems spreading out to the far reaches of infinity sped by the observation screen of the Phoenix like glittered black velvet. But its beauty was lost on the young men of G-Force who did not notice or care, their minds focused on their objective, to rescue their teammate, Princess. The urgency of their mission was foremost in their thoughts as the Eagle, Condor, Owl, and Sparrow were a grim assembly, silent and brooding.

As they passed the far end of Neptune and headed toward Pluto, the cloying silence was broken by the monotone of Tiny as he flatly announced, "We just passed Neptune and are headed for Pluto, commander. We should pass Pluto and then be at the mid point near Charon and reach the rendezvous point with the Devil Star by 2300 hours, about six hours from now."

Mark grunted in response as he barked, "Jason, send a shout out to Cronus and the Red Rangers of Riga. But before that make sure the com scrambler is on to block out all other frequencies. I don't want to run the risk that Zoltar might listen in on us."

"Copy that, boss. Consider it done." The Condor went to the main communications console and dialed in the frequency that Cronus and the Red Rangers operated but was interrupted by an incoming call from the Federation's Early Warning System on Pluto.

"What the--," Jason said as a throaty female voice interrupted him.

"Hello, G-Force. This is Susan, from the Early Warning System on planet Pluto. Zark…provided me with your frequencies so I'm communicating with you directly."

Jason rolled his eyes as Mark responded, "So do you have some information for us about Zoltar and his exact whereabouts?"

"Yes… commander." The voice was sultry and breathy like that of a temptress, absurdly inappropriateunder the dire circumstances.

Jason snorted, "Damn it, will ya get to the point already? We don't have time for your cute little pillow talk. Zark's not here to get his transistors in overdrive so knock it the hell off."

Mark retorted, "Cool it Jason! Susan, go ahead."

The female robotic voice continued, "I have just received some impulses that have levels of radioactivity that indicate a Spectran fleet at 225,000 kilometers away and warping. At the rate of warp I'm reading, they will be in the outskirts of the solar system in approximately four hours."

_Four freakin' hours! Dammit figures Zoltar is way ahead of schedule! We've got to move, before he gets here I want to get our game plan finalized with Cronus. _Mark nodded as he acknowledged the communication. "Thank you, Susan. Is there anything else?"

"Yes...commander... please tell Zark when you see him that I eagerly await our regularly scheduled briefing in 48 hours." There then there was a sound like a girlish giggle then a whispered, "Over and out."

The Owl snickered as he remarked, "Boy, those two sure seem to have the hots for each other."

Keyop chuckled as he agreed, "Brrrp..sure do…brrrp."

"Knock it off you guys!" the Condor snapped. "Cut the bull, we've got more important things to do."

Tiny and Keyop both glared at their teammate as the pilot of the Phoenix protested, "Hey chill out, Jason. We were just having some laughs to break up the gloom around here."

His patience thin Jason snapped back, "Yeah well, since when are we a dating message service for two hunks of scrap metal? They must've shorted out their brain circuits."

Mark then spoke up in his most authoritative voice. "All of you quit this now! I know we're all on edge but here's no time for sniping we've got a job to do." He then addressed his second in command. "Jason, get a hold of Colonel Cronus now. We need to relay this information from Pluto to him on the double."

"Yes, sir," the Condor tapped in the Red Rangers' frequency and Cronus' hawk like visage appeared on the communication screen.

"Hello, G-Force. I take it you have some information for me?"

Mark's response was cryptic. "We just heard from the EWS on Pluto and were informed that Zoltar and his Devil Star ship are warping into our star system and will be at Charon in four hours. We're about six hours away how far are you and your squadron now?"

Cronus replied, "We're about an hour away, traveling at Mach 6. We should be at the point of our agreed rendezvous in fifteen minutes with a quick warp. Is that what you're planning to do?"

The Eagle glanced at the Owl and both nodded. Mark replied, "Affirmative."

"And I have some additional information from a recon scan we just took of the Spectran fleet which I'll share with you when we meet."

"Okay then, colonel. We're also going to do a short warp and be at the agreed point. See you in a bit." The screen went black and the Eagle headed back to the command seat where he sat and then requested, "Okay Tiny, prepare for a short warp to the outside of Pluto's orbit, about a quarter of a million kilometers."

"Big ten, commander." The Owl then pushed the lever activating the warp sequence in the Phoenix, causing a loud hum as the engines powered up.

"Everybody strap in, warp in 30 seconds," Mark called out as the rest of the Force prepared for the brief but intense sensation.

Tiny counted down the final seconds. "10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1….Warp!"

The blue and red craft then disappeared in a flash and a blur as it hurtled through the time-space continuum and appeared with the planet Pluto behind them. The members of G-Force all recovered from the event as they shook off the customary vertigo that had overtaken them.

Tiny shook his head and spoke first. "Man, what a rush! Don't think I'll ever get used to space warps. It's like takin' a bad acid trip."

Keyop snorted, "Brrrp…what….brrrp…would you know …about acid trips?"

Tiny replied, "More than you, squirt."

Mark then interjected irritably, "Okay knock it off. Never mind the referrals to mind altering drugs and give me the coordinates of where exactly we are."

Tiny dutifully responded, "We're approximately half the distance between Pluto and Charon, Mark."

Three blips immediately appeared on the radar scanner, approaching from 11 o'clock. "Three space fighters approaching from our port stern. From the sonar vibes I'm reading from their engines they're Rigan. Must be Cronus and his gang."

And as the blips became larger, the communications screen lit up again with the bust of Cronus. "G-Force, I'm about 10 kilometers away and will dock with the Phoenix in three minutes. Prepare docking station."

"Roger." Mark turned to his pilot and said, "Activate docking port at the count of five when Cronus comes within 25 yards of us."

"Big ten, Mark," the Owl responded. "He's just now comin' into view."

"Okay, begin count…5…4…3…2…1."

Outside, the dock port extracted from the boarding pod of the Phoenix and extended out to Cronus' red space fighter with its own probe, finding the receptacle and then joining it to lock onto the G-Force spacecraft. Once secure, Cronus pushed the hatch open and slid down into the pod to enter the Phoenix.

On the bridge, the four boys waited as the panel slid open to admit the scarlet clad space ranger, who strode over to the central area by the communication screen.

"Greetings G-Force," Cronus said as the screen came to life with the grave face of Security Chief Anderson.

All the members of G-Force snapped to attention as the chief said, "At ease. Glad to see you there, Cronus."

"I'm glad to help, Chief."

Anderson addressed G-Force, "Team, I'm sure you've heard the latest coordinates from the EWS on Pluto. Zoltar is on his way into our system as we speak and we have to stop him from coming any closer to destroying PAX with their laser pulse cannon. And we must rescue Princess."

_Oh gee, at least he mentioned THAT even though it was like an afterthought _Mark said sardonically to himself as he stated, "Rescuing Princess is our number one priority, Chief."

"I know, Mark. That's why I contacted the Red Rangers to assist you. Colonel Cronus, I see you're there. Have you any further information to add to what we already have from Pluto?"

Cronus replied, "Yes, my men Onishii and Masaki have done some recon flights and I've done a recon scan using the new signal scrambler and stealth shield that 7 Zark 7 developed. Both were successful as we were undetected."

"So what do you have?"

Cronus continued, "I have found that the Spectran fleet is made up of approximately seven craft, half a dozen escort fighters and the Devil Star ship. They are at 25,000 kilometers from Planet X or at least they were when we got our findings about an hour ago. They may have done another warp since then."

"Great," Jason groused, "So they could be right at our doorstep right now."

Mark said, "Zoltar did arrange to meet us at the midpoint between Charon and X so it's not surprising. But Chief, I'd like to know what is this 'stealth shield' that Cronus was talking about?"

Anderson gave a slight smile. "I'm glad you asked that, Commander. Before all of you took off on this mission, the Phoenix and your individual vehicles were all also outfitted with the device that basically renders you invisible to the enemy. The activation switch is right next to the main throttle, Tiny."

The Owl glanced at the throttle lever and saw a small switch he had not noticed before. "Oh, I see it now. Wonder why I didn't notice that before."

"Brrrp—too cool---Brrrp," Keyop crowed.

"And that's not all, the device can also work in conjunction with the warp mechanism in the main engines so you can perform a warp undetected as well."

Mark grinned as he said admiringly, "Leave it to Zark to come up with something like that."

"Yeah," Jason admitted, albeit grudgingly, "Ya gotta hand it to the bucket of bolts, he's always coming up with something to save our asses. Now if he could work on being less annoying, he'd be perfect."

Anderson ignored the Condor's editorial as he made a closing statement. "Now that you all know about the new modification to the Phoenix, I know that the mission will be accomplished in your usual manner that reaches the expected level of excellence. And if you utilize the new device Zark gave you, Mark I know you'll make the Federation victorious. Godspeed Team." The screen went black.

Jason glanced at Mark, "What was he talking about, Mark? What device?"

Mark flashed an enigmatic smile. "You'll see." He then addressed the Rigan commander, "What do you have for us, Colonel."

Cronus then stepped forward and slid a floppy disk into the computer and a schematic came up on the screen, the Devil Star and her entrances and exit ports displayed.

"Here's what we were able to ascertain from our recon flights. The rear port side of the vessel seems to be the most vulnerable as the other ports are equipped with radar and solar telepanels that are used for surveillance. Because the rear port is located near the nuclear reactor powering the craft, there are no panels there."

"Hmm," the Eagle intoned. "So we could actually board the Devil Star right there without being discovered."

Cronus nodded. "Affirmative. I suggest we perform a two-pronged attack with me and the Red Rangers engaging the escorts in a dogfight while the Phoenix does a warp behind the Devil Star right at the rear port. There you can board the craft without Zoltar knowing and overpower the goons that are working in the rear reactor terminal. How does that sound?"

Mark stood wordlessly studying the schematic while the mulling over the plan. It was an excellent strategy and as he thought about the idea he began to formulate the second part of the plan once they were inside.

"Well, Commander?" Jason's impatience cut through the Eagle's thoughts.

Mark nodded and replied, "Sounds good. Keyop, go to the computer and bring up the interior layout of the Devil Star sent to us from Federation intelligence."

"Brrp---yes----brrrp sir."

The youth keyed in a sequence and hit the enter button. Another screen came up and showed a split view of the different areas around the ship including the area where Princess may be held.

Mark took hold of a laser pointer and ran the red dot of light over the layout. "This is a cross-section of the Devil Star." He indicated the main reactor area as he went on. "As you can see, if we can board the craft right at the spot Cronus said is a radar blind spot, we can overpower the guards and then," he said as he ran the pointer down the middle, "we can split up and search for Princess…"

Meanwhile Princess was led by the Spectran guards into an arena like chamber and they tossed her in like a bag of refuse. Although her legs were free, her wrists were still shackled behind her. She glared at them as they laughed when she stumbled and fell.

"Sorry, doll but you're gonna die soon so why bother being gentle with ya," one goon sneered as the other leered at her, running his tongue across his chapped lips.

"Say you're quite a looker," he said as he crouched down and leaned close, his hot breath foul and making her want to gag. "I've heard that earth girls are easy, wanna prove it to me?"

As he drew closer for a kiss, Princess retaliated by spitting at the goon, catching him right in the eye. At that gesture, the guard howled in rage and backed away as the Swan jumped to her feet and glared at him in undisguised hatred.

"Why you little bitch, I'm gonna waste you right here." He leveled the barrel on his machine laser at her as his colleague grabbed the gun and pulled the goon back.

"Cool down, moron. Didn't Lord Zoltar tell us just to bring her here?" he growled as his partner continued glowering at the Swan. He then slapped the livid goon on the side of his head.

"Hey, what the hell's the idea?" the would be lothario whined but the wiser goon continued with a withering tone.

"Listen up, fool. Lady Mala will be taking care of her and the rest of G-Force when they get here so knock it off. She's gonna die soon enough anyway."

But his fragile ego bruised and needing appeasement, the goon persisted, "Yeah but if I shoot her, we can tell him that she tried to flee." With a cruel smile he raised the weapon and aimed it at Princess again just as a side panel slid open and the tall form of Mala swept in.

She surveyed the scene in malicious mirth. "Well, well. I see you've delivered the Swan here unharmed more or less. Good job." She strode over to where the two goons had snapped to obsequious attention.

"Yes, Lady Mala," they chorused.

"But I see I may have interrupted something," she purred as she pinned the two guards with her glacial orbs. "May I ask what?"

"Uhhh, well," the foolish goon began as his partner shot him a warning glare as he hastily replied to the query.

"She was a bit insolent so we had to subdue her, my lady."

"Is that so?" Mala arched a tawny brow as she spotted the face of the foolish guard. "It seems that it was you who was subdued." At the jibe the goon lowered his head in shame and she directed brusquely,"Wipe your face, it appears that you have spittle on it."

Casting a baleful glare at Princess the goon wiped his face dry. "Yes my lady." He glanced worriedly at his partner as he hung his head and waited for inevitable punishment for his thwarted indiscretion.

The Spectran woman turned to Princess and addressed her. "Well Swan, are you ready to meet your doom?" she asked almost cordially as she barked to the guards, "You are dismissed."

Relieved by the dodged bullet the two left smirking as Princess eyed Mala disdainfully. "So what are you planning to do now, Mala? Your goon was about kill me and save you the trouble."

Mala replied, "If the fool had done that, I would have killed him." She turned and said conversationally, "No indeed, dear Swan, I have special plans for you."

Princess backed up and said acerbically, "And you plan to eliminate me like this, with my hands bound? How tedious for you, there's no challenge in fighting me like this."

Mala studied her with a speculative gleam as she nodded. "You're right. So to give you a sporting chance to survive, however slim it may be, I'll let you go."

She pushed a button on her utility belt and the shackles opened and dropped off of Princess' wrists, freeing her. She brought her arms forward, rubbing her wrists as she nodded her thanks.

"Thank you, but what's next?"

Mala responded, "You are to transmute into your G-Force battle garb and wait until I return. In the meantime, just make your peace with your God as you contemplate your soon demise." She laughed maniacally as she vanished.

Princess felt her heart pound and she immediately brought her left arm in an arc and cried, "Transmute!" as the swirl of energy enveloped her and she emerged clad in her birdstyle. That done, she then hit the bird scramble distress signal on her communicator.

_Please, Mark I hope you can answer me_ she fervently hoped as she continued to signal. . . .

On the Phoenix Mark, Jason, Tiny and Keyop along with the commander of the Rigan Red Rangers, Colonel Cronus were finishing the final touches on their plan to board the Devil Star. As commander, Mark was addressing his crew with a final directive.

"And once we get to the command bridge we can knock out their main reactor that powers not only the engines but the laser pulse cannon that Zark showed us on the latest communiqué and scan we got." He hit a button on the Communication screen console and the plan came up, showing an intricate weapon system that linked the front and aft gun ports on the Devil Star directly to the reactor. This combined supplies a laser charge equal to a half a million megaton nuclear blast, more than enough to obliterate Earth. He continued, "We can do that by setting a chain reaction that will go directly into the reactor itself with this..,"

He held up a slim cartridge made of tungsten that had a gradually tapered end made of a specially crafted polymer explosive. He went on, "Zark also fabricated this out of the latest plastic explosive device, made to travel down the energy line that activates the cannon and it explodes on impact. Zark gave it to me before we left Center Neptune."

"Very groovy, Skipper," Jason remarked as he reached for the thing. He held it in his hands and added sardonically, "Looks like quite the toy rocket but then again I'm not the demolitions expert on the team, Princess is." He eyed the Eagle meaningfully.

Mark's eyes narrowed at the implied accusation and he felt his hold on his temper slipping.

As the others examined the device, Keyop piped up, "Brrrp-----Jason's right----brrrp----Princess----brrp----knows explosives-----brrp-----better then me."

Mark's mouth drew into a grim line as he said irritably, "I'm aware of that, Keyop!"

Jason glared at him and retorted, "Then admit we need her to accomplish this mission and let's get goin' and find her, dammit! We've wasted enough time here listening to you flap your gums."

Mark took a deep breath as he finally lost his cool. With lightning speed he grabbed the Condor by the throat and growled, "Y'know I'm really tired of your complaints, Jason. As much as you want to go off half cocked and half assed into that ship and jeopardize the mission and Princess' life, I'M still the commander and you'll follow MY orders! You got that?" He then let go and his second stumbled back, glowering as he fingered his abused throat. Off to the side, Cronus watched the exchange with a hooded expression, yet wisely remained silent.

Jason recovered from the shock of the severity and vehemence of his commander's sudden attack and iron grip on him. His eyes narrowed as he opened his mouth to issue forth a scathing response but the unmistakable sound of a communicator going off with the bird scramble, the G-Force distress signal sounded from Mark's wrist, drawing everyone's attention. The pink lights flashed in rapid succession.

"Brrrp---Princess!" Keyop squealed excitedly, jumping up and down.

Tiny and Jason both leapt forward eagerly, their eyes on Mark's bracelet.

_Princess! Your bird scramble's music to my ears, baby _the Eagle was quietly exultant and he closed his eyes to say a fervent prayer of thanks. The quarrel with Jason forgotten, Mark held his wrist up to speak as everybody anxiously crowded around him. He pushed the button and spoke, "Princess! Princess! Are you there? Come in Princess, answer me!"

"Maybe she can't answer you, Mark," Tiny said worriedly.

Without a word in response, the Eagle pushed himself through the crowd gathered around him and strode over to the communications board. He slipped his bracelet off and placed it in the receptor unit that acted as a link to a team member's distress signal to pinpoint from where the signal was coming. Immediately, the schematic of the Devil Star from before returned and a red light flashed in an area that was in the lower quadrant of the craft. Mark pointed with his finger.

"Her bird scramble is coming from there in the ship. That's where she's being held. So let's move out."

The other three young men nodded as they chorused, "Big ten, commander."

Cronus nodded as well as he said, "I'll head back and distract the escort ships. When we've got them engaged, I'll send a signal and then you can warp behind the Devil Star with your stealth shield activated."

Mark nodded as Cronus patted him on the shoulder and said, sotto voce,"Hang in there, we'll get her back and make Zoltar pay for his actions. Vengeance will be ours." He then whirled and disappeared behind the panel to the boarding pod.

Tiny and Keyop both raced to their posts as Jason joined Mark who was still staring at the screen. He clapped his best friend on the back as he said, "Let's go, Skip. Let's go get our little girl."

Mark nodded as the two went to their posts. . . .

Back on his fighter, Cronus contacted his crew via voice and for Onishii who was deaf, by a flashing light on his control panel. His voice activated a pattern of flashes that Onishii could understand as he spoke.

"Onishii, Masaki. Keep your scanners on as we set our course for the midpoint between Pluto and Charon. Zoltar and the Devil Star should be right there and heading for us."

The light by the speaker blinked the mute's response as Masaki's gravelly voice crackled, "Hai, okashira. We'll keep our eyes open."

"Good. Keep me posted. Over and out."

Cronus then keyed in a flight coordinate and settled into flying as the craft accelerated to and past Mach 3. But as he flew, he could not shake the sight of his only son's distress, hidden beneath a polished veneer of military duty and protocol, the proverbial chip off the old block.

Cronus mused ruefully _It's never easy is it, Mark my son? To put all thoughts and feelings aside to do your duty to God and the Federation as you agonize over the fate and conditions of your loved one? I know you love Princess, I knew it when she was taken by the Fierce Flowers and you literally fell apart, Anderson told me the whole story and had I not been on patrol in another star system, I'd have been there by your side. And a person would have to be blind not to see it now, as I'm quite sure Zoltar sees it. Just make sure he doesn't see it so clearly that he uses it to get to you. For like it or not son, like your mother was to me, she is your Achilles Heel._

He went on _You don't know this, but that is why I left you and your mother when you were four and had Anderson tell you I was dead. And we had known that Spectra was not only targeting certain Federation operatives like myself but their families as well. I just couldn't chance that they would try to hurt you and your mother so I agreed to disappear. At that time the Federation was gearing up to heavy battle with the forces and allies of Spectra and I was needed on Riga where we were training troops and space fliers and I was also needed for that as well as my assistance in the eradication of the X-3. And I succeeded in putting it out of commission but I have discovered that the plans of Spectra continue to target Earth and the peaceful balance of the planets of the Federation so I must, remain dead. But one day soon, I will tell you who I am, my son. And how proud I am of you as the commander of G-Force. _

The incessant beeping of the scanner radar shook Cronus' reverie as he spotted the seven blips that were the Spectran advancing force and he reached for the button to alert his crew. But a split second before he did, Masaki's voice broke through.

"Cronus-sama, the Spectran Devil Star and fleet are about 2500 kilometers and approaching."

"I'm aware of that," Cronus intoned. "Maintain your positions and prepare to rendezvous with the escort fighters to lure them away so the Phoenix can intercept the Devil Star. I'll inform the Eagle now. Over and out."

On the G-Force vessel, the foursome sat in uneasy silence as they waited for the signal from Cronus with the atmosphere thick with tension from the grim circumstances. But no man spoke a word as the emotions of fear, frustration, fury, and anguish hung like a heavy cloak about them.

The quiet was shattered by the communication screen coming to life and Cronus' visage looming above as his baritone spoke, "The Devil Star has been sighted and we are on our way to draw the escort fighters away. So now's the time to warp since we'll be confronting them shortly."

"Affirmative," Mark responded as the screen went black and he issued a directive. "Okay everyone, we're ready to roll. Activate the comm scrambler and stealth shield and prepare for short warp. . ."

On the Devil Star, in a catacomb on the mid lower quadrant of the craft in a secluded chamber, Mala and the somewhat battered Princess doppelganger named Rula were gathered. The girl who posed as the Swan was attired in the pink and white uniform and was as before a spitting image.

Mala was finishing giving her orders. "So I trust you understand what you must do."

Rula nodded but she asked, "Are you sure the Eagle will believe me, my lady? After all he did discover that I was not the Swan at Center Neptune. He's not easily duped."

Mala sneered, "I know all too well." She leaned into the girl's face and said each word with emphasis. "That is up to you. Remember, you failed at your task before and another blunder will not be tolerated. So if you don't want the same fate to befall you as did 666, make sure you convince him that you are the Swan."

The girl nodded and answered obediently, "Yes ma'am." And a malicious gleam lit her verdant orbs that the woman mistakenly ascertained was for the enemy as Mala nodded and pulled back and turned to leave.

The gaunt, blonde amazon from Spectra gave a warning in parting, "Do not forget, girl. Two strikes and you're out." She disappeared behind the panel leaving Rula standing there staring after her.

The double inwardly seethed, her heart screaming for vengeance for her lover's untimely demise and her own abuse at the hands of the ruthless sibling rulers of her dying home planet. She recalled how the duo had her transform to the replicate Swan garb and then hung her bound to a prison wall as they had her beaten. Then they had her half-conscious form on display for G-Force as the distraught team was lured into battle. She smiled grimly as she promised _Don't be so smug, Lady Mala. The very result you are intending for G-Force and the Federation may very well backfire and happen to you. And if that's the case, I'll personally make sure to do all I can to make sure that you pay. . . ._

Meanwhile, on the command bridge of the Devil Star, Zoltar was watching through the observation screen into the black nothingness of space as he anticipated his upcoming battle with his most despised enemies, G-Force.

_At long last, justice is coming for me _he exulted _those arrogant, miserable pups will be here and for once I hold the upper hand. This time I will be victorious and will gloat as they are first humiliated then tormented and then, ultimately destroyed. How sweet the taste of cold revenge!_

His gleeful pondering was interrupted by the throaty alto of his sister as Mala swept into the bridge and came up to him. She observed the fiendishly smug expression beneath the mask of her brother and raised a tawny brow in query.

"My dear brother you appear somewhat giddy. Could the eminent demise of G-Force be what is making you so?"

Zoltar threw his head back and guffawed in pure enjoyment. "Sweet sister, you know me so very well." He came and grasped her thin shoulders as he went on. "I have something to show you but first is our 'Swan' ready?"

"Indeed she is," Mala replied as Zoltar whirled about and led her to the panel to exit the bridge. Over his shoulder he barked out an order to the two Spectran soldiers piloting the ship.

"Maintain position and inform me when the Phoenix appears."

"Yes sir," they said in unison, saluting.

He grasped his sister's elbow and said, "Come with me, I have something to show you." He took Mala over through a secret passage way to another panel door, which he slid open and revealed Spectra's latest creation. Mala gazed up with wide eyes and then clapped her hands in approval.

"Oh dear brother, it's magnificent," she gushed as she came and stood before the behemoth, a battle robot that towered over them, staring out with eerie red lights that resembled unseeing eyes.

Zoltar smirked in smug satisfaction as he described the mecha to her. "Yes, our scientists on Spectra really outdid themselves this time. This robot is a complete arsenal."

And it was; a giant mecha that had among its super strength, weaponry that consisted of a laser cannon, energy pulse bombs, an atomic saber, and a concentrated laser whip. Zoltar demonstrated by pointing to an obsolete insect mecha that had been in mothballs and the robot responded with a flick of the laser whip, obliterating the mecha into a smoldering pile of ash.

Zoltar laughed as Mala applauded, "Oh bravo, dear brother. What a marvelous show!"

He nodded as he agreed, "Yes, sister and just imagine how our new friend will turn those pests from G-Force into mere shadows as he melts their flesh to nothing. But first I plan to play with the Eagle a bit as he will be the first to die. Then with the Eagle fallen the others will fall into my hands and will be destroyed easily."

"How will you do that?" Mala wanted to know.

"Very simply, the Eagle will be placed in the main battle chamber and two doors will be available to him. If he chooses the door leading to our friend here, he will be crushed at once. But if he chooses the other door, then our little Swan will lure him into the trap that awaits him. Either way his demise is assured."

Mala nodded but then arched a brow as she asked, "And what about the real Swan? She is still in custody."

Zoltar made a dispassionate hand gesture. "She has served her purpose as bait so I leave her in your very capable hands, dear Mala. I'm sure you can deal with her quite readily."

She smiled a sly, feline smile. "Most assuredly, dear Zoltar."

"Splendid," Zoltar said with a smirk that faltered as a red light flashed near the intercom screen and one of the pilots' image came in view.

"Lord Zoltar! Lady Mala! Three enemy craft that look like Rigan Red Ranger fighters are approaching fast! What should we do?"

"Fool!" Zoltar roared. "What else? Contact the escort fighters and have them engage the insects and destroy them! We have bigger fish to fry so keep watching for the Phoenix."

"Immediately, sir," the goon responded. Then his face fell as he announced, "My lord, the radar has just picked up the Phoenix approaching as well."

"Excellent. Keep monitoring until they are a few kilometers away and then I'll invite them to the little party I have waiting for them."

"At once, my lord." The screen went black as the Spectran leader turned to his sister and took her arm.

"Shall we go and prepare to welcome our guests, dear Mala?"

Her response was swift. "Indeed dear brother, let's."

The sinister siblings headed off to the battle. . . .

**NEXT……THE LADY? OR THE TIGER?**


	10. THE LADY? OR THE TIGER?

_Author's Note: Again I ask your forgiveness for the late update, the muse was totally silent for three months (for this story, anyway), no matter how I tried to inspire it, it would not budge. Plus there were three battle scenes to write that I wanted to have impact and they were slow in coming. But take heart, the rest of the story is screaming at me and I plan to continue to the conclusion of this tale, updating soon. Thanks for the review, support and most of all PATIENCE. And a HUGE thanks to Freddo and whiteswan for the prodding (I needed it--: ))_

_**Glossary of Japanese words & terms**_

_**Okashira---boss**_

_**Bonzai---a war cry**_

_**Hai----yes**_

_**Onegai---please**_

_**Subarashii---wonderful**_

**THE LADY? OR THE TIGER?**

In the pilot's seat of his Red Ranger space fighter Cronus sat in waiting, his frame locked as he spotted the enemy, six Spectran Devil Star fighters all streaming at him and his two comrades. He smiled savagely as his adrenaline flowed and he became filled with anticipation of the upcoming dogfight. It was a form of battle that he excelled at and relished as the sense of competition rose in him and filled his psyche to the brim as it always had from his days at the Space Academy when he had won Top Gun honors, three years in a row.

He reached for his communicator button on the flight dash, and spoke to Masaki and Onishii, "Prepare yourselves. The Devil Star fighters are in range and approaching fast. It appears they want to head us off before we get to the mother ship."

Onishii tapped in, "How many are there?"

Cronus responded, "Six."

Masaki crowed, "Subarashii, there's two for each of us."

Cronus grinned is spite of himself then barked, "Don't get cocky, Masaki. We need to destroy them first." He looked into the dark starry expanse and saw intermittent flashes of laser fire and then saw the six fighters. "Okay this is it, boys! Make sure you watch your backs, draw them in and blast 'em to bits."

Masaki gave a samurai yell as he chortled, "Let's go get those bastards!"

The single manned Spectran fighters, hurtled in at a scattered formation, obviously to engage the Red Rangers in the typical dogfight. Their laser guns were shooting in intermittent successive blasts, easy for Cronus and his men to dodge. They flew in singularly while firing as the Red Rangers returned fire and used evasive maneuvers such as G negative dives, giving the impression of fleeing and on the defensive. But as the Spectran pilots were crowing to each other over their apparent success, they did not realize that the wily veteran of many space battles had drawn them into a trap. Each time they had initiated an offensive, Cronus, Masaki, and Onishii had lured them closer and closer to an asteroid belt that acted as not only a place for the Red Rangers to hide but due to the Devil Star fighters being less flexible in their maneuverability, caused some problems with their pursuit.

Cronus smirked as he saw a fighter tailing him while he was headed to a close knit field of the space flotsam. He used the agility of his Red Ranger fighter to weave in and out of the scattering of matter. He then saw his chance; up ahead there was a field where the asteroids were not only larger, but had only about 60 meters between them, barely the width of the crafts themselves creating what is referred to in _The Art of War_ as Heaven's Net. But the Red Ranger because of its superior aerodynamic design had more agility in tight places. And it was this fact that would spell doom for the Spectrans in this battle. The Red Ranger hid behind a cluster of boulders and sent a communiqué to his squad.

He spoke into his headset. "Lead the others in to the asteroid field, about 30 degrees to the north of the orbit of Charon. I've got a little surprise for them."

As a fellow student of Sun-tsu and instinctively knowing his commander's tactic Masaki replied, "Hai, okashira. Great plan."

Onishii tapped a message of affirmation and so Cronus flew out of his cover and made his presence known to the enemy, shooting off his laser guns. The Devil Star fighters that had been in pursuit took the bait and came screaming at him, their own lasers blazing. They were completely fooled as they chased Cronus and he led them into the most treacherous field in the asteroid belt.

_Good, good, come after me_ Cronus said in satisfaction. _We'll see what you do when our little cat-and-mouse game ends._

He steered the fighter deep into the field, leading the two Devil Star fighters this way and that, zigzagging around each asteroid. Reaching the middle of the field, he saw his goal, a natural mesh of asteroids that were placed in a bunch like the rocks on a seashore and deadly to approaching ships, a natural trap. Cronus then slowed his craft down to draw the enemy in closer. As an expert in defensive tactics, the Rigan Red Ranger bided his time as he flew toward the field, then as he reached the narrow alley between two of the largest asteroids he turned sideways and zipped through barely touching either asteroid. But the Spectrans, made bold by their assumed victory and lacking the dimensions of the sleek Red Rangers, tried to do the same by following and then became ensnared as they were wedged firmly between the two huge pieces of rock. Laughing in triumph, Cronus hung a U turn and flew back at the alley, hovering at point blank range right in front of the two trapped Devil Star fighters to momentarily gloat at the hapless enemy.

"Tsk, tsk. Well my friends, it appears that you never learned a basic premise of 2 on 1 dogfighting. And that is to take separate positions to surround your enemy. So you both followed me and fell right into my trap." He smirked as he fingered the blast button of his laser cannon.

"Unfortunate that this will be the last lesson you learn before you go to the river Styx. Sayonara." He pushed the blast button and the bright blue ray from the laser cannon disintegrated both Spectran fighters and the asteroids that had sandwiched them into a fog of space dust. He bowed his head, said a short prayer, then spoke into his headset.

"Masaki, what's your location?"

His comrade in arms replied, "About 25 kilometers port and 45 degrees from dead center into the belt."

"Where are the enemy fighters?" Cronus wanted to know.

Masaki answered, "Right on my tail. We're headed your way."

"Great," the Red Ranger commander said. "Steer them over to 80 degrees port and then leave 'em to me."

"Will do. Over and out."

Cronus flew over to a line of asteroids in a concave formation that created a three-sided enclosure and hid himself above, waiting and watching as Masaki lured the two firing Devil Star pursuers into the extraterrestrial dead end. When both came into range, Cronus came out in front of them as Masaki appeared behind, effectively boxing them in. Simultaneously, both Red Rangers fired their cannon, and two more Spectran fighters were obliterated.

"Four down, two to go." Cronus tapped the button on his headset and Onishii's screen flashed the inquiry. "Onishii, where are you?"

The screen lit up with the coordinates 118 degrees starboard to the orbit of Pluto and Cronus immediately spoke the location to Masaki, "Onishii's a bit farther out so we'd better go lend him a hand."

"Hai okashira."

Both ships blasted their engines and headed for what appeared to be a cluster of asteroids that looked like a sea of shifting rock, moving back and forth in orbit as if being sifted in the vacuum of space. Cronus, leading the way came to a stop as he spotted Onishii's craft stationary within the midst of the asteroids with periodic spurts of fire and smoke from his jets seemingly in mechanical trouble.

Masaki was concerned. "Okashira, we need to help him."

But Cronus grinned as he spoke assurance to his man, "Just stay back here with me, Masaki. He'll be fine."

At that very moment, the two remaining Devil Star fighters were patrolling the field and then sent laser blasts toward what they thought was a wounded and trapped enemy, closing in on the crippled Red Ranger…

Or what appeared to be so.

The Spectran fighters slowed down and crept closer, to finish off the "helpless" space fighter when Cronus ordered Masaki, "Now! Full speed ahead with all guns blazing!"

He and Masaki raced forward with furious blue flashes firing as they keyed in on the Spectrans and the "lame duck" Onishii added his own shots with the three converging on the duo and effectively hitting their target, turning both craft into a fireball.

"Bonzai!" cheered Masaki, passionate as always in victory. "So it was all a ruse, eh?"

"Precisely."

"We got'em good, okashira." This was typed in by Onishii as he fired his jets with no problem and joined the rest of the team in formation.

"Hai," typed Cronus reverting to Japanese as he said to himself _All right Mark. Now it's your turn, get that bastard Zoltar and make him pay, big time. I'm counting on you, son._ He issued his order to his troops.

"Let's move out, men." And they warped out. . .

On the Phoenix the four male members of G-Force were heading toward the location of the Devil Star mother ship wordlessly, their expressions grim and determined as they readied themselves for battle. Conversation was limited as they drew within radar limits, and could pick up the blip on the communication screen.

Jason broke the silence with his low announcement. "I've just spotted the Devil Star on radar, we're about 24000 kilometers from 'em now, Mark."

"Yeah, I see," the Eagle replied as he began to form a game plan in his head. "Okay guys, let's get ready to rumble. Tiny, activate the Stealth Shield and then prepare for a short warp to the rear panel by the reactor port."

"Big ten, commander. Everybody hang on!" The Owl flicked the switch that rendered the Phoenix invisible to any radar scans and then counted down.

"5….4….3….2….1….Warp!"

The G-Force craft disappeared in a blur as it reappeared at the starboard stern of the Spectran spacecraft and at the reactor port where there were no telepanels and hovered just near the dump exit.

"Tiny, just hang here and extract our boarding tube," Mark directed then addressed the rest of the team with his plan.

"Okay guys this is what we're gonna do. Tiny, you stay here and hold the fort, Jason you take Keyop and knock out the goons in the engine and reactor room and I'll head in to rescue Princess."

"Awww," the Owl protested. "I never get to have any fun."

"Quit your bitchin'," the Condor snapped, his patience thin. "We'll need you here when we get Princess back and make tracks outta here."

Mark nodded as he agreed, "He's right, Tiny. Once we get Princess back, we'll need to make a fast break." He reached for the bomb crafted by 7-Zark-7 and handed it to Jason.

"Jason, you are to locate the main energy line to the reactor and send this little baby in." He handed the long tube to his second in command and the Condor smirked as he tucked it into his belt.

"No prob, Skipper. Just leave everything to me."

A pregnant pause, the proverbial calm before the storm settled over G-Force as the final preparation for the ensuing battle drew to a close. Mark's aquiline visage bore sheer determination as he said quietly, "Let's move out, team."

The three others chorused, "G-Force!" and the Eagle, Condor, and Swallow headed to the exit pod. Once there, Keyop cast a worried glance at his commander, which was caught and to reassure him Mark grinned at the boy and gave him a thumbs up.

The dome opened and all three climbed into the boarding tube to crawl to the rear exit of the Devil Star, which was actually a vent that led into the reactor chamber according to the schematics G-Force had studied. The vent was not only an escape hatch for emergencies but doubled as an exhaust outlet for stale air within the spacecraft to be expelled by the air purification system, making for a perfect way in for the team. The boarding tube of the Phoenix fit perfectly like a hand to a glove and the boys were on board effortlessly. They came to the slatted opening leading into the chamber and discussed strategy.

"Man, that was a piece of cake," Jason remarked.

"Brrrp---too-----brrrp-----easy," the Swallow piped up.

Mark snorted, "Yeah, well if only the rest of the mission goes like it. But unfortunately, I think this was the easiest part, the rest is gonna be like climbing Mount Everest."

Keyop peered out into the reactor chamber and murmured, "Brrrp---place is crawling with goons." His observation was a bullseye, for there were Spectran soldiers everywhere and that made it nearly impossible to make their entrance undetected.

"Yeah, that's for sure," the Condor muttered. "Damn them." He stepped back and regarded Mark impatiently waiting for an answer. "Well where do we go from here?"

The commander frowned in concentration as he studied the circumstance, his agile mind hard at work devising a way to get in. "We have to create a diversion, something to get their attention and lure them away from the area so we can get in." He brightened up as he added, "And I have just the thing."

He held up his boomerang and directed, "Jason, Keyop, get out your weapons."

Both did as they were asked but Jason was perplexed as he drew out several feather shuriken, his secondary weapons, which he could throw with pinpoint accuracy. Holding the projectiles in his hand at the ready he said, "All set, Skipper. Just say the word."

Mark nodded then held a finger over his lips to urge his team to remain silent. He then took his boomerang and using the narrow edge as a screwdriver, he proceeded to loosen the screws around the grate that covered the vent. Fortunately, the bustle of the goons working in the reactor room coupled with the hum of the reactor itself veiled the metallic scraping that Mark was making as he removed the grate, so thankfully they remained undetected. After that he gestured to Jason and Keyop to get into position and gave the directive in a murmur.

"Okay guys, this is it. When I give the signal, you two let your weapons fly and nail some of those Spectran goons. Then rush 'em as they start firing back and while they engage you, I'll head into the ship to locate and rescue Princess. Then Jason, you send our little love token into the reactor when you hear from me, it'll take care of both the pulse cannon and the Devil Star in one fell swoop. After that we'll all split to the Phoenix and blast out of here. And Jason,"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you don't send the bomb in till you hear from me. We have to get Princess first then we can send the enemy into oblivion. Getting her back is the number one priority."

"Right on," the Condor agreed as he and the Swallow crouched in position.

Eagle Mark then positioned himself behind the two and began to count down. "Okay team, let's roll. Ready? Go!"

At his command, a set of bolas and several shuriken came flying out and flew through the air finding their mark and hitting goons, felling the unsuspecting Spectrans and drawing the attention of the others.

"What the…?"

"Who the hell…?"

Mark nodded and Jason and Keyop flew out and into the confusion as goons, bearing their laser rifles, glanced frantically about, then spotted the Condor and Swallow as the latter gave a glib announcement.

"Surprise, ladies!" Jason reached and hurled additional shuriken, stabbing goons as he dodged the laser blasts with a nasty smirk that showed how he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Ahhhhhh!" screamed the Spectrans as his deadly feathers found their target and other goons fired back in fury. But in their desire to retaliate, they ignored the set of bolas careening through the air to wrap around them, causing their weapons to fall out of their now bound hands and arms.

"Brrrrp….bingo!" Keyop crowed as he glanced up at the vent and gave a small nod to his commander before a volley of laser bullets peppered at him and he flew off.

Mark then leapt down and then raced to the panel door as more Spectran goons spotted him.

"Hey it's the Eagle! Get 'im, get 'im!"

The Spectrans fired their rifles at the white blur of the G-Force commander as he dashed over to the exit. He punched the button to let himself out and into the hallway that led into the rest of the Devil Star ship, the door sliding closed causing the laser shots to ricochet harmlessly against the panel. As he sprinted along the narrow passageway, Mark's photographic mind remembered the indicator on the schematic on the Phoenix as to where Princess's Bird Scramble originated. So he followed the picture in his head as he dashed along.

_Hang in there, Princess. Just keep the faith, baby I'm coming for ya_ Mark fervently spoke to his girl, as if just sending the thought would get through to her. _I hope you're okay because if you're not, I swear I'll tear Zoltar apart with my bare hands, he's dead._

His thoughts and progress were both interrupted by a familiar, sinister cackle that made his already heated blood boil. "Well, well, if it isn't my dear friend the Eagle, G-Force's illustrious commander! Welcome aboard."

Mark came to a complete halt as he barked out, "Zoltar, you bastard! Where are you?" He looked all around, his even features twisted into a dark scowl. "Show yourself!"

"In due time, my friend. In due time. In the meanwhile, I'm sure you're quite eager to find your lovely companion."

A chill running down his spine Mark became livid as he bit out, "You son of a bitch, where is she? If you've harmed a hair on her head, I swear I'll…"

Another loud cackle sounded as Zoltar replied, "I can see that worry for your beloved has rattled yourunflappable cage. Ohhh you are sooo amusing, G-Force commander. You earthlings are so sickeningly prone to the useless emotion of love; it makes it so very easy to manipulate you like a puppet on a string. When you all fall to the conquering force of Spectra, the first thing we'll do is rid you all of that weak and unnecessary emotion."

Mark stated, "You have a truly warped view of love, Zoltar."

The Spectran warlord snorted, "My view is accurate, Commander. I have spent countless hours studying you pathetic earthlings so I could know my enemy better."

Mark threw his head back and laughed humorlessly as he scoffed, "You know nothing, Zoltar."

"Is that so?"

"Yes it is." Mark snapped back, "For someone who claims to know so much about earthlings, you are truly ignorant. For if you were as knowledgeable as you say you'd know that love is the strongest of human emotions. It has endured for centuries and throughout history has brought mighty kingdoms to their knees."

"Spare me the sentimental speech. You're wasting time and I'm sure the Swan is eager to see you before all of you meet your long anticipated demises." Zoltar's voice echoed in the passageway as he announced, "Behold before you, G-Force commander!"

Mark looked ahead as an eerie blue light lit the wall in front of him, which had two door panels of the same dimension that were both closed. Impatient and enraged he bellowed, "What the hell are you up to now, Zoltar? What's this all about?"

Zoltar's maniacal laughter echoed in the cavernous passageway as he replied, "Just a small amusement for you. I do know how much you enjoy a challenge."

In no mood Mark growled, "Screw you and your games. Just tell me where you've stashed Princess…Now!"

"Temper, temper, Commander. All in due time," Zoltar said silkily. "In the meantime, just wait and see the lovely entertainment I have prepared for you."

"Entertainment?"

"Indeed. The valiant prince here to rescue the captive Princess," Zoltar mocked. "The cliché fairytale except for the wicked warlock who holds her bound. But take heart, you need only make the right choice and you will be reunited with your love."

Mark cursed under his breath as he ground out, "What's your game, Zoltar?"

The Spectran madman chortled as he said, "I'm certain an intelligent fellow like yourself is familiar with the famous classic Earth short story called 'The Lady? Or the Tiger?' about a barbarian king and his unique form of justice. Well, my dear Eagle, I too plan to mete out Spectra's unique justice for the myriad of humiliating defeats we have suffered all at G-Force's hand."

Mark's sky blue eyes were cobalt with fury as he remembered the premise of the story. After a crime or even an imagined slight the barbarian king would have the accused choose one of two doors in his special arena. If he chose wrong, a ferocious tiger would emerge and tear the poor soul to pieces. However, if he made the right choice, a beautiful lady would come out and he would be declared innocent and then as a reward for his absolution, he would be wed to her. The irony of the present situation was evident, as he felt helpless at the hands of another barbaric maniac at least until he located Princess. . . .

…………………………………………………………………

Meanwhile, the Swan was getting ready to square off in her own battle, against Zoltar's megalomaniac of a sister in the tall, lanky Mala. The Spectran Amazon stood before Princess, arms akimbo and eyeing her in disdain as she re-entered the chamber.

"Well, I see you've transformed and appear ready to face me" Mala said conversationally as she unfastened her cape and tossed it into the air, where it vaporized. Clad in form-fitting purple, no one could miss that the Spectran female was leanly muscled and quite formidable.

Princess sniffed, "You're quite the performer, Mala. Are you sure you've never been on stage?"

Mala chuckled, "Thank you for the compliment. I believe it was the Earth author William Shakespeare who penned the words 'all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players'. I believe that applies here so let's provide a good show, what do you say?"

Princess crouched in a ready position for the fight. "As soon as you stop blabbering on."

Mala scoffed, "Earthlings are so gauche. No sense of style and finesse, just charge right in. Very well then, come at me."

The Spectran woman's almost bored attitude infuriated the Swan and with her nerves already on the edge from her prolonged ordeal, she leapt up and aimed a swift roundhouse kick at Mala's mid-section. But the tall woman showed amazing agility as she leapt up and ducked the attack handily. Her laughter rang in the chamber, echoing off the walls and in Princess's ears, grating on her like nails on a chalkboard.

_Take it easy, girl _she chided herself as her temper rose. _She's just trying to get a rise out of you and push you into getting angry and careless so you'll make a mistake. So you just use the same method against her, act like anything she does is no big deal. And whatever you do, don't let her goad you._

"Not bad, little swan. But soon you'll see why you are grossly under matched with me." She reached on her utility belt and drew out a metal base and activated a laser whip. "Your defeat is imminent."

The laser whip then shot out with blinding speed and streamed right at Princess. But the Swan's outstanding natural agility coupled with the enhanced physical ability courtesy of her cerebonic implant enabled her to evade the shot with ease.

Princess landed gracefully and tossed her head. "Is that supposed to be your best move, Mala? You disappoint me."

Mala's ice blue eyes narrowed as she retorted, "Humph, I haven't even scratched the surface. So don't get so cocky."

She readied for another attack as the slithering blue ray flashed and stabbed at Princess as she again leaped up and landed on the infrastructure above the chamber. The ray hit the framework and caused the chamber to shudder.

Princess let loose a musical titter. "Oh, that was smart. I'm thinking that this chamber is part of the central frame of the ship and a few more lashes will bring the whole thing tumbling down, severely damaging the spaceship. Good work."

Princess's flip manner helped fuel the fires of frustration in the Spectran female. "Damn you little bitch! If the ship is damaged, it's your fault for hiding in the frame like a coward." Mala screeched. "Laugh while you can, your demise is assured and I will be the one laughing last."

In abject fury she let loose another ray lash but this time Princess countered with her yo-yo and knocked the ray harmlessly away while slinging out to Mala's fingers with a stinging blow that caused her to drop her weapon. As a finishing touch, Princess sent an electrical charge down the wire to blast the laser whip to bits.

"Too bad," she said in mock sympathy as the smoke cleared. "Spectran weapons seem to be little more than children's toys."

Mala snarled, "G-Force whore! Why don't you put your little toy away and we'll have a real fight?" She crouched in preparation for battle.

Princess snapped the yo-yo back, slipped it in her belt, then leapt down to face Zoltar's sister in a martial arts fighting stance. "I thought you'd never ask…"

Meanwhile, Mark stood before the two doors, his mind spinning as he wondered behind which door Princess was being held. His heart was pounding with both trepidation and anticipation and eager to see and rescue the girl he loved the Eagle rushed forward but was halted by the echo of Zoltar's mocking laughter.

"Quite the dilemma, eh Commander? Which door is it that opens to lead you to your beloved? Is it the right?" He cackled as he finished, "Or the left?"

Mark began to tremble in sheer rage. "You filthy bastard," he spat as one hand balled into a fist and the other reached for his boomerang. "I swear I'll make you pay for each moment you've held her here."

"Promises, promises," Zoltar said sardonically. "Why don't you just find her first before you start talking retribution. The choice is yours." Laughter then ricocheted in the passage as the G-Force commander was left to make his decision.

Mark said nothing as he contemplated the doors beckoning to him. He wracked his brain to speculate as to just which door Princess was behind as well as pondering on the growing realization of the depth of his feeling for the Swan. On the Phoenix as they headed for battle, he kept thinking about how he had fallen hard for her and was determined to bring her back, even if it cost him his life. When he had discovered that she had been taken, he truly felt fear gripping his heart for the first time in his entire role as commander of G-Force and then became focused on his one true objective; bring his Princess back. Filled with that resolve, he finally moved before the one on the left and punched the button to open it.

The panel slid open to admit the Eagle into an inner chamber that was like the passageway, dimly lit and giving him a cold chill in his stomach as he glanced about. His eyes then fell on two glowing green orbs that emerged from the shadows.

The mecha, styled like a metallic jungle cat, crept forward as a digitized snarl rumbled in the air. Mark slipped immediately into battle mode, like a linebacker before a big game. Zoltar's maniacal laughter rang out as the Spectran leader goaded his adversary.

"So you've chosen The Tiger, eh Commander? Well, too bad since this is our newest mecha prototype for mass production when we invade the Earth. So testing it out on you will be a fitting trial to see if it cuts the mustard, as you humans say."

Mark was en garde as the tiger and he circled each other. But he was surprisingly calm as he countered, "Defeating a Spectra mecha won't be difficult since we have destroyed so many."

" Is that so? Well, we shall see. Have fun, Commander. And if I don't see you again, have a happy afterlife," Zoltar said.

"As you yourself said, we'll see," Mark promised, getting into a fighting stance to take the monster on. . .

In the next chamber, a pert feminine figure in birdstyle waited as Zoltar's voice boomed authoritatively, "Prepare yourself for the Eagle's arrival. He should handily beat that mecha and then I will guide him to you where you will convince the fool that you are the Swan and have turned traitor on G-Force, leading him to me where I personally will deal with him. Do not fail me."

"Yes, Lord Zoltar," Rula replied obediently as she devised a plan of her own. . .

Mark backed up as the mecha-cat growled and snarled, its tail swishing angrily as its feral green eyes focused on the Eagle, acknowledging its prey. Then as it lowered into a crouch, Mark's eyes widened and he leapt up as twin green laser beams shot out and burned holes in the spaceship wall.

_Damn_ Mark said as his adrenaline and survival instincts both kicked in _that thing's got some kind of bite _"Whoa!" he exclaimed as the eyes then found their mark again and shot at the Eagle, which he dodged just in time as he flew into the rafters.

_Man, I gotta find some way to take out that cat or I'm toast _from his perch Mark studied the mecha as it searched for him, growling. He saw that it not only resembled a tiger but also had limited intelligence as it panned its face back and forth. Then, he saw his in.

_There it is! _he exulted._ If I can blow out its eyes, the lasers will back up and destroy the thing._ Mark reached in his holster and pulled out his sonic boomerang. But for good measure before he let it fly, he unscrewed one end and poured some explosive in it, then screwed it back on.

_Here ya go, kitty _Mark flung the boomerang and it screamed toward the mecha, which countered with a green blast just as the weapon stuck and shattered the eyes, causing the ray to back into the mecha. In addition at the point of impact, the sensitive explosive detonated and blew the cat apart.

As the impact from the explosion caused the Devil Star to quake, Zoltar's voice again sounded in a conceding manner. "Very, very impressive, G-Force commander. I was certain that our newest devise would be able to finish you. But alas, again I underestimated you. So as an act of concession, I will guide you to the Swan."

Feeling unsure about his bitter enemy's sudden willingness to admit defeat, Mark snapped, "I find it hard to believe that you're giving in so easily."

"Be that as it may, I am a man of my word and if you'll look to your left, you will see a panel. If you push the button, you will be reunited with the Swan."

Still wary, Mark stepped to the panel and pushed the button. It slid open with a soft whoosh into another dimly lit chamber so Mark entered cautiously, scanning the interior and then spotting a slight figure huddled against the far wall, came forward, hope entering his heart.

"Princess? Is that you?" Mark approached the slender, white winged figure that looked familiar, yet had him still on guard. He reached a gentle hand to lay on her shoulder. "It's me, Mark."

With a sob she threw herself against the strong chest of the Eagle. "Ohhh, Mark I'm so glad you're here!"

His arms immediately went around her in protection and he murmured, "Shhhh, it's okay, baby. Everything's gonna be all right, you're safe now."

The girl pulled back her tear-stained face as Zoltar's laughter reverberated around them. "Ahhh, young love! It's so very sweet, it warms the cockles of my heart.

Mark scowled as he glanced up to retort but his words died as he felt a blunt object press against his neck. His eyes widened to azure saucers as he saw "Princess" holding a laser pistol to his throat and then recognized the impostor Rula dressed as his girl again.

He opened his mouth to protest but Rula gave an imperceptible wink as Zoltar's triumphant cackle echoed within the chamber.

G-Force fool!" he snarled. "You fell right into my trap. How does it feel to have your lover and former teammate now working for us?"

"That's right, Mark," Rula's voice said in a silky alto purr. "Lord Zoltar has convinced me that to have Spectra rule the universe is the best option so I joined them." She leaned in and barely whispered "Just play along with me."

"Bring him straight to me," the Spectran warlord commanded. "For he is mine."

"Yes, sire." Rula jabbed Mark in the ribs as she barked, "You heard the lord, move it!"

Mark narrowed his eyes and did what he was bid, yet feeling an odd sense of peace as she followed close behind, the laser pressed against his neck. _Let me see just what she's up to._

They both exited the chamber as Zoltar's mad laughter careened off the walls.

**NEXT……RULA'S REVENGE AND PRINCESS' RESCUE**


	11. RULA'S REVENGE AND PRINCESS'S RESCUE

_Author's Note: Well folks this is it, this story's nearly over with the epilogue left. I'm sorry it took so long to complete but realistic and believable fight scenes are extremely hard to write. I have much action and fighting here and an unexpected twist with Princess's double. But this was how the muse went. Once again thanks to all the readers and faithful reviewers for sticking with me, I hope it meets your expectations. No fluff here but lots to come in the epilogue. Enjoy._

**RULA'S REVENGE AND PRINCESS' RESCUE**

While all that was occurring, the battle royale in the reactor room was becoming no contest with the entire place strewn with the felled bodies of Spectran soldiers and Devil Star female fighters. The Condor and Sparrow were a fearsome tag team as the outmatched and unskilled Spectrans dropped like flies.

Keyop swung his bolas and another pair of laser-toting goons bit the dust as Jason made a trio of Devil Stars topple like dominoes with a vicious roundhouse kick that packed a wallop like a wrecking ball on a condemned shack. The grunts and groans of the vanquished Spectrans were second only to the crunch of their shattered bones as they fell to the enraged and vengeance minded G-Force members.

Jason was in his element, leveling the ones that he had hated since his parents demise at their hands at the tender age of eight. Both had been double agents, top secret ops of the elite Spectran spy agency, yet working under cover for the Federation. But somehow, their cover had been blown and they discovered they were targets of Spectra for annihilation. He had never forgotten how he discovered both, slumped over a picnic table at their beach villa, shot in cold blood as a Devil Star woman operative watched. Then when he had run to his parents and wrenched his father's revolver from the lifeless hand and took aim to fire, she had tossed a rose made of plastic explosive at him, which blew him back and left him unconscious. When he had woke up a week later, he found out that Federation Security Chief Anderson had him hospitalized and was in the process of adopting the sullen and angry boy. He recuperated and then went to live in Anderson's house where he met Mark and Tiny, then a year later, Princess had joined them followed by the laboratory embryo that became the constructed infant Keyop. So as they grew from orphaned children and trained to become elite space commandos his team became his family. These thoughts were driving Jason as he hurled feather shuriken at several Devil Stars, slaying them as the projectiles hit their mark and as he thought of his sister, Princess and what she had suffered at these demons' hands, his rage became renewed. So without hesitation or remorse he wreaked havoc on every Spectran he could get his hands on, both male and female.

As Keyop used his wiry body to mete out punishment, his own thoughts were of a dark-haired girl with laughing green eyes who was like a big sister to him, often embracing him as he sought comfort from his still childlike fears. From the time he first could recall, Princess always acted as a doting older sister and a surrogate mother, wiping his runny nose and tears, providing treats and playing games. As they grew older and were groomed and trained for their duties as G-Force, the relationship became more in the manner of true siblings as he teased Princess over her feelings for their commander Mark and drew her short-lived ire in lively arguments. Keyop felt tears brimming but he ignored them as he focused on making as many goons and Devil Stars pay for kidnapping his beloved sister.

Jason had eliminated another trio of goons as he saw Keyop take out some Devil Stars and called out, "Hey squirt, how ya doing there?"

"Brrrrp---piece----burrrp---of cake," the boy replied airily as he threw the bolas and some goons fell like bowling pins." He glanced over at Jason as more Devil Stars fell at the Condor's hand. "You too?"

"Do ya have to ask?" Jason felled the last goon as the alarm klaxon went off, blaring through the chamber and the red lights flashed. He ran to his teammate and said hurriedly, "With the alarm sounding, we'll have more company pretty soon so Mark better get in touch with us…fast."

"Uh-huh." Keyop nodded as he pointed up to the rafters. "We'd-----brrrp----better make ourselves-----brrp---scarce."

"Right on," Jason agreed as both flew up and concealed themselves as a panel slid open and more Spectran grunts rushed in to find their fallen comrades.

"What the---? What happened here?" demanded a Spectran commander looking like a crazed circus clown with wild orange hair as he entered as well and saw the numerous bodies of slain soldiers and Devil Stars.

One goon knelt by a comrade with a shuriken protruding from his artery, fatally wounded. "Looks like the G-Force brat Condor's dirty work."

The commander strode over and knelt down to investigate. Uttering a curse he rose and barked, "Find those brats and make them pay with their worthless lives now! I'll contact Lord Zoltar for re-enforcements and get help dumping these corpses."

Up above Jason and Keyop exchanged glances as Jason murmured, "We better lay low till Mark contacts us." _Man Cap, where the hell are ya?_

Keyop nodded with a frown. . . .

Meanwhile, the G-Force commander was occupied as he played the part of the docile captive, the cold muzzle of the laser gun pressed against his neck as his mind flew. _Okay, I'm biting but what is this girl up to? And what did she mean 'play along with her'? She's one of them and damn near had me fooled while she was sabotaging PAX as Princess so why am I so trusting of her?_ Mark's practical mind warred with the underlying yet mystifying feeling of peace that in spite of everything pointing to the obvious, he could trust her. And his driving desire to rescue the real Princess was the force that had him appearing uncommonly meek in his demeanor. Thoughts of her flitted through his mind as he walked down the dark corridor and he vowed for the umpteenth time since this hellish nightmare began to bring her back to himself. He thought of the kisses and tender embraces they had shared when on their recent hiatus from duty before she had been summoned to work on PAX and his resolve, already unyielding became ironclad.

Zoltar's incessant cackling interrupted Mark's thoughts as he ordered Rula, "Stop right there. G-Force Commander, I have prepared another lovely little amusement for you, our latest creation that I'm sure you will find a bit more challenging then the first one."

Rula pushed a concealed button and the panel slid open to allow the two entrance into another large darkened chamber where the shadows appeared still and ominous. Zoltar's grating voice echoed in the chamber.

"Here is the place of your long anticipated demise, Eagle. Are you as eager as I am?"

Mark remained silent as Rula jabbed him with the laser and snapped, "Answer Lord Zoltar insolent scum!"

The Eagle's eyes bored into her as again she sent a conspirator's wink at him and said, sotto voce, _Trust me._

Mark barely nodded as he bit out, "I can't wait."

"Good. Swan, show your former commander all my hospitality as you introduce him to our friend. And when he is dead and gone, you can---,"

The alarm klaxon interrupted as the captain's frantic voice sounded, "Lord Zoltar, we have a problem. Several of our people were slain by G-Force in the reactor chamber! Request for backup."

Zoltar cursed and snapped, "Request granted. Go and find the insects and exterminate them." To Mark he said, "It appears your friends have created a rather different end than what I had planned but no matter. The captain is more than capable to rid me of the other G-Force pests and I have the crown jewel in your capture and soon death. So actually I am quite pleased."

_Way to go, guys! _Mark exulted silently as he took that moment to touch his communicator to his hip and activate the instant summons to Jason. He then said arrogantly, "We're not dead yet, Zoltar."

"Yet is the operative word, Eagle. But that is about to change. Swan, I'm activating the new attack robot so you stay and make sure he's finished off. Farewell my young G-Force commander."

The screen went black as the shadow lit up with the red glow of the attack robot, its scanner eyes appearing like crimson apparitions as they traveled the room. Mark saw it seeking its prey and called out a warning.

"Princess, get out of the way!" He grabbed the girl who appeared in a state of inertia and together they flew up just as the concentrated laser ray found them and melted the area vacated by the duo. Both landed in the rafters of the chamber as the robot's metallic hum filled the air, along with the smell of scorched steel.

"Whew, that was close," the Eagle remarked as he examined his companion's suspended state. He asked in concern, "Hey, you okay?"

Rula stared at Mark and said to herself _Even with his bird helmet on his eyes are the most incredible shade of blue I've ever seen._ "I'm not Princess," she said tonelessly.

"I know."

At his statement she glanced at him and added, "You've known all along, haven't you?"

Mark nodded, "Yeah, since I saw you in the room before."

She was curious at his being so convinced. "How?"

Mark replied with an even stare, "Because her eyes are different then yours, sweet and innocent."

Rula nodded, "I see. As you pointed out to me once, she isn't a slut." She lowered her head and it appeared as if she were ashamed about what he had implied and so much more. Always the gentleman, Mark took note of her genuinely contrite demeanor and felt sorry for his suggestion.

"Look, I didn't mean to---," he hastened to make amends but Rula shook her head and gave a sad, rueful smile.

"It's okay. I know what I've done and what I am." She then set her delicate chin determinedly as she stated, "That's why I intend to help you and take you to her."

At that moment, the attack robot made a sound that indicated it had homed in on their hiding place, sending a bright red laser ray toward them. Mark grabbed Rula's hand and spreading his wings he pulled her away as the ray hit the wall and melted another hole where they had been. Flying up high and trying to get behind the mecha the Eagle and pseudo-Swan both sought refuge in an open vent as Mark tried to think of a way to take out the killing machine. He scanned the front panel of the behemoth and was dismayed to see absolutely no way to destroy it conventionally. The laser ports were covered in unbreakable glass and they appeared to be able to move in a 360 degree angle, he saw no weaknesses but taking a chance anyway and a hold of his boomerang, he flung it toward the robot. But it was caught in a laser beam and dematerialized, turning into dust.

"Damn!" Mark swore as he saw his weapon destroyed, his heart sinking with the chilling realization. "I don't see how I can kill this thing." Another red ray found them and he and Rula both leapt up and away just as the vent disintegrated, leaving another gaping hole.

They landed near another vent and the room rattled with the hum of the beam ports as they searched for the two. Mark sighed and said, "We can't keep playing tag with this thing, I've gotta find a way to take it out. But how I'm gonna do is a mystery to me." He made a wry remark, "Maybe if we stay completely still it won't find us."

Rula scoffed, "Don't bet on it." As if in response, the hum of the sensor filled the air as the mecha continued to search. Getting an idea she asked, "You have another boomerang, don't you?"

"Yeah, but you saw how the first got destroyed. I don't think I can try to hit it again and risk losing it." Mark scowled as he wracked his brain to find just one place to hit the mecha and blow it up so he could resume his search for Princess. He had sent the signal to Jason to send the explosive into the reactor and although he could not contact his second to see if the deed was done, he knew time was running out.

Rula glanced at the tense expression on the Eagle's handsome face and filling with the resolve to make amends herself she then studied the robot's façade searching for one area. She then spotted the mecha's Achilles Heel, a tiny electric eye that she remembered both Zoltar and Mala had pointed out to her when they had directed her to set the trap for the Eagle. She tugged at him and whispered a plan.

"Listen to me, Mark. The robot's sensors are not only sensitive to movement they are also geared to be like the tracking ability of a mosquito, it follows the carbon dioxide that we exhale and that's how it finds us so easily. But there is a way to disable it and then we can destroy it."

He was intrigued. "How?"

She leaned close and said, "In the right upper corner near the beam ports is an electric eye that sends sensor beams to not only track movement but also track carbon dioxide molecules. If you can throw your boomerang to burst it, the beams will be rendered immobile and useless."

Mark asked, "Where is it?"

"There."

Rula leaned closer to him pointing the area out, a barely perceptible reflection that was no bigger than a pinpoint at their distance. Having been shown the location, Mark now saw it clearly, his vision locked onto the target. But still concerned about losing his weapon, he hesitated and wondered if the same thing would happen.

Rula saw the doubt flickering in the Eagle's azure orbs and informed him, "The beams aren't activated, they have to power up. If you throw your weapon now exactly where I showed you, you can shatter the eye before the robot can shoot the lasers again."

In spite of himself, Mark was impressed. "How did you know all that?"

She replied, "Before I was chosen to sabotage PAX, I was a second lieutenant in the Devil Stars, special science unit. I was on the committee to plan new mechas and this model had been in the final stages of development just before I was deployed." Her eyes darkened with anguish as she added, "Randy was also on the committee before he was sent to infiltrate the Federation cyber forces." She then finished bitterly, "Zoltar killed him when we were brought back after being caught at the ISO."

A tear appeared in her eye and before he could think, Mark reached under her visor and gently brushed it away. The gesture made Rula look at him in a strange way and realizing what he had done, Mark blushed and turned away, embarrassed by his behavior.

"S-sorry about that. It's just that I hate to see a woman cry."

Fact was the Eagle had momentarily lost his aplomb and just saw teary green eyes in a face he had adored forever, thinking that he was with Princess. He cursed and shook himself mentally to bring himself back to reality, the cool and efficient G-Force commander. _Idiot! Even if she was Princess, you'd never do that during a mission. _To enforce the thought he abruptly turned, drew out his boomerang, and got ready to let it fly.

"Birdrang!"

The sonic weapon flew from Mark's hand as he fired it and it headed straight for the façade of the robot, right at the miniscule electric eye that he would never have seen had Rula not shown him. He watched as the boomerang traveled in a blur and he cheered it on silently as it made contact and hit the mark with a crash and a small explosion complete with electrical arcing and a shower of sparks.

"Bullseye!" Mark waited as the boomerang returned to him, mission accomplished.

Rula lost no time. "Follow me and we'll finish the job."

She leapt down and Mark tailed her as they sprinted to the huge mecha the machine now smoking and arcing as the Princess lookalike took out her version of the Swan's yoyo weapon. She flung the spinning disk and hit the beam ports, sending a charge to the explosive blowing the lasers to dust. The two separate attacks sent a chain reaction that had the mecha crumbling, with control panels and the circuitry all going off like fireworks at Chinese New Year. The room was rapidly filling with smoke as coughing Rula grabbed Mark and both stumbled to the rear to try to make an escape.

She rasped, "Stay close to me and I'll get us to where Mala and Princess are."

Coughing Mark asked, "Mala's with her?"

"Yes. Mala was to eliminate her while I took care of you."

Mark nodded in understanding. "So the plan was to get rid of both of us."

Rula nodded as she affirmed, "None of the members of G-Force were to survive, all of you were to be destroyed."

She punched a sequence into a hidden keypad and part of the wall slid open to let them out. The secret panel closed after them just as the mecha gasped its last breath and blew completely apart setting off a general alarm throughout the Devil Star ship. . .

Back down in the reactor chamber, the Condor and Sparrow both hid in another open vent as laser shots ricocheted about outside. The Spectran re-enforcements arrived and at the captain's order began firing to flush them out.

"Find the G-Force brats and destroy them," he barked as waves of laser toting goons came rushing in and spread out to find them.

Jason and Keyop both pulled out the bomb device and was setting the controls to prepare it for detonation, the summons from the commander clear. Mark's scramble just flashed on Jason's communicator and he was almost ready to roll.

Keyop asked, "Brrp—is----brrp thing ready?"

"Just about," Jason replied as he completed the timer set to thirty minutes and got ready to go out to the reactor rear control panel, and the power port where the explosive could enter the energy line and head into the pulse cannon. He scanned the activity in the reactor room and then gestured to the Sparrow.

"Let's go."

The duo from G-Force flew as the Spectran captain and his goons were rushing all about, searching for the two youths in birdstyle, who had managed to make their way to the rear of the reactor, at the power port. The scene was pandemonium as the klaxons echoed the general alarm within the chamber as the Spectrans swarmed about shouting. Knowing that time was of the essence Jason reached for his tools and worked the buttons until the panel opened, revealing the main power ports. He then turned to his diminutive teammate.

"Okay little buddy this is it. As I take care of business, you go and act like a decoy to keep 'em busy. Then when I finish, I'll join the fight, we clobber 'em, and then split to help Mark get Princess back. Got it?"

Keyop held a thumbs up. "Brrrp---count -----brrrp-- on me." But before he left he asked, "Brrrp---how much----brrp---time----brrp---we have?"

"Thirty minutes."

"Brrrp---no----brrrp---sweat," the Sparrow said airily as he took off, bolas already flying toward some hapless Spectran goons.

With no hesitation, Condor Jason took the timed explosive and shoved it into the main power port that led to the pulse cannon, flipping the switch before he let it go. He then contacted the commander. . . .

Meanwhile, Eagle Mark and the Swan double Rula were sprinting down a dark corridor, that was leading them to the exact location of Mala and Princess's showdown when his communicator beeped and flashed blue. Stopping to answer the summons, Mark raised his arm up as Rula looked on.

"G-1 here G-2, come in."

Jason's voice crackled in triumph. "Mission accomplished, Skipper. Our little love token to Spectra's on its way to the cannon. Have you found Princess yet?"

"Negative, but I'm being guided to her by the Spectran Princess lookalike." He glanced at her and asked, "What's your real name?"

She looked him right in the eye and said softly, "Rula."

Mark nodded and then turned back to his communicator "Rula's guiding me to where she is. So tell me how much time we have."

Jason replied, "Just under thirty minutes. I'm going to help Keyop with cleanup and then we'll head over."

Mark replied, "You don't have to, Rula here will help me. Just finish up and get the hell out."

"Mark, I--," Jason began but the Eagle cut him off.

"Just do as I say. She's leading me right to where Princess is now."

Jason sounded dubious. "You sure you can trust her?"

Mark glanced over at the girl who looked so much like his Princess. "Yeah, I can trust her. Zoltar killed her lover Addison and she just helped me destroy his new mecha. I can trust her." He added brusquely, "When you guys are done, get a hold of Tiny on the Phoenix and tell him to get ready to pick us up."

"Will do. Just get Princess back."

Mark's mouth was a grim line. "Count on it. Over and out." He lowered his arm and said to his companion, "Let's make tracks, we don't have a lot of time."

Rula nodded, "Right."

The faraway sound of the alarm klaxons added to the sense of urgency as they both took off to find Princess. . . .

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the ship, an alarm flashed on the monitoring panel, indicating the first defeat. "Lord Zoltar! Indication here is that the new attack mecha has been destroyed." A goon informed Zoltar in terror.

Zoltar strode over to the flashing warning on the panel and growled, "That blasted Eagle!" He noticed another alarm flashing and asked angrily, "What is that alarm flashing for?"

A diagram came up and showed a blip right in the energy line heading toward the pulse cannon. "Lord Zoltar, Lord Zoltar! There's a foreign object in the energy line, headed for the pulse cannon!"

"_What!"_ Zoltar strode over and pushed the subordinate aside as he saw for himself. "This can't be happening!" He then barked out an order. "Find those insolent G-Force whelps and eliminate them now! I want this ship turned inside out until they are found!"

"Yes, sir!" The squad of Spectrans in the bridge took off for the reactor chamber.

To the one at the panel he demanded, "Send the pulverizer ray into the energy line to stop it."

The goon was horrified. "But Lord Zoltar sir the ray might destroy the line itself. It's madness to do that!"

Zoltar viciously backhanded the fellow and barked, "Just do as I say fool, and keep your opinions to yourself!" He then stood watching his order carried out before the flashing panel saying to himself _At least Mala is taking care of the Swan right now. So G-Force you may win this battle but you will not escape unscathed as your teammate dies._

He began to laugh loudly as the Spectran at the controls winced thinking _Lord Zoltar is truly insane. . . ._

All this time, Mala and Princess were engaged an a savage hand-to-hand battle and found that they were both evenly matched, each showing a level of skill that kept the fight from showing any clear advantage. Princess found herself amazed at the dexterity and agility of the Spectran Amazon and if not in the midst of a life and death struggle, she would enjoy the fact that Mala was proving herself to be a worthy opponent. Both women were circling each other after rising slowly, having dealt each other some rather punishing blows so they goaded each other.

Panting Mala said, "I have to compliment you, Swan. You have proven yourself to be a formidable opponent."

"You too," Princess responded, rubbing a growing bruise on her left cheek that thanks to her cerebonic implant was already healing.

"Thank you but enough of this pointless mutual admiration. Prepare to die!"

Mala took a deep breath and then got into a crouch to issue forth an offensive strike, rushing forth to Princess's midsection in a flying tackle. But the Swan took her arms and with joined hands brought both down on the Spectran woman's spine, knocking her spread eagled on the floor and then she leapt over the prone figure to the other side of the chamber next to the rear wall.

"Sorry Mala but I just can't allow you to keep me from getting back to my teammates. Plus you look like you need the rest, your attacks lack flow."

From her place of defeat Mala moaned, her golden head hanging as she tried to rise. Her voice was raspy and low like she was laboring and in distress.

"Well Swan, it appears that you have me close to admitting defeat, something I do rarely. Again, you should be commended for your skills are quite impressive." She raised her head and her visage was the picture of vanquished sincerity. "I could use some help, if you would be so kind."

Her sense of decency and fair play present, the Swan was moved to compassion for the wounded Spectran. However, Princess remained wary as she crept cautiously forward to where Mala had fallen and asked, "Mala?"

In a split second the Spectran woman whirled to her feet and leveled a small but lethal looking laser pistol, a malicious smile on her face that did not reach her glacial blue eyes. She said scornfully, "You earthlings are really so gullible, so concerned with caring for others. It makes it so easy to draw you into a trap. You're pathetic"

She fired the weapon and Princess leapt up and flew out of the range of the deadly red ray, which blew a hole in the ship's wall. Her face twisted in the furious mask of a crazed killer, Mala kept firing as G-3 kept dodging, now on the defensive.

"Ha, keep running away, little Swan. There's no place to hide and eventually you'll grow tired and I'll have you."

_Damnit she's right, I can't keep this up forever. I have to wait for her to hesitate for a second so I can use my yoyo. But she's possessed now and her focus is to kill me._ Princess was getting worried as she sensed the predatory insanity in Mala, which made her extremely dangerous. Another ray blast came her way and she flew off, barely missing it. But it did damage as the ship was hit critically again with sparks and small fires breaking out filling the air with smoke.

Mala let loose a cackle worthy of her brother and then hissed, "Fool, you can't hope to escape me so just accept your fate."

Princess stopped at the shadowy far rear of the chamber to catch her breath using the cover of semi-darkness to try to plan her next move. But Mala's maniacal statement rung out from a range that had her cornered.

"The hunter and the hunted. A relationship that is symbiotic in as one cannot exist without the other but the conclusion is painfully evident as is your imminent demise. DIE!"

A red ray came streaming forward and Princess leapt up again to dodge the bullet. But the wall panel slid open at the same moment and two came rushing in, the white winged figures of the duplicate Swan and Eagle, with Rula leading the way. However the timing was such that the ray hit the double point blank on her upper chest.

"AHHHH!" she screamed as she fell to her knees stricken, her eyes becoming glazed with pain.

"OHH" Princess gasped as she immediately jumped down beside her lookalike and knelt to minister to her.

"Rula!" Mark bellowed in alarm as he retaliated and aimed his weapon right at Mala. "BIRDRANG"

The sonic boomerang flew forth at blinding speed and hit the Spectran woman's pistol directly, causing her to drop the weapon as it exploded, a fiery ball that flew up and hit the frame of the ship causing it to shudder violently.

"You blasted brats!" Mala railed her mouth dripping saliva in her mad fury. "You have no victory for it is here you'll die!" She laughed insanely as she ran to the front panel and let herself out, stumbling and holding her bleeding right hand. The door slid shut and a dull explosion followed as sparks flew from the wall and indicated that Mala destroyed the control unit, trapping them.

"Kuso!" Mark swore, using a Japanese term he had often heard Cronus use as he turned and knelt down beside the Swan. He laid a hand on Princess's shoulder and asked gently, "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"Uh-huh, I'm okay. You both got here just in time. But I'm worried about her, she needs immediate attention." Princess wrapped her arm about Rula and asked, "So is this woman supposed to be me?"

Mark gazed at the unconscious Spectran and nodded. "Yeah. Zoltar had her planted with Addison to help sabotage PAX. That's why they nabbed you." He reached his hand and rested it on her cheek "You sure you're okay?"

Princess nodded as Mark like her wrapped an arm about Rula and lifted her, flanked by G-3. "We gotta get out of here, Jason planted a bomb that Zark created to blow this thing up. So we need to split."

"But how? The panel was just destroyed," Princess pointed out worriedly.

"I-I can get us out," Rula said weakly her eyes flickering open as she hung between G-1 and G-3, both of whom were focused on what she had to say. "J-just go to the panel control, there's a fuse circuit that can be overridden to open the panel in an emergency."

Mark glanced at Princess and nodded as supporting the doppelganger they made their way over to the panel control. Rula took a deep ragged breath and reached for the fuse circuit and flipped the release to override the circuit, causing the door to slide open. The trio then made their way out to the main corridor where the alarm was sounding in a loud banshee wail. Other signs of ensuing chaos were taking place as shouts of panicked Spectrans echoed down the corridor.

Mark shouted over the din, "We have to head back down to the rear. The Phoenix is waiting for us!" He and Princess carried Rula between them through a haze of smoke from the almost continuous sound of dull explosions as the Devil Star ship was in its death throes.

A familiar and chilling cackle greeted them as none other than Zoltar appeared like an apparition from the smoke. The Eagle's eyes narrowed in undisguised hate.

"Zoltar."

"So you're still alive, commander. I see that the mecha failed to do its job." He glared at the slumped form of his former subordinate. "Or should the blame for this failure fall on the shoulders of a treasonous wench?"

Mark snapped, "You're as vile as always, pinning the blame on others for your own mistakes. The fault is yours, always underestimating G-Force and the Federation."

But Zoltar was on a roll as he leveled a laser gun at Rula and barked, "Death to all traitors!"

Before he could get off a shot Mark leapt forward and grabbed Zoltar's hand to wrestle the weapon from him, the two tousling in a death match as the two women watched in horror. . .

Meanwhile in the reactor room the alarm was blaring as the Condor and Sparrow were battling the wave of Spectrans in typical G-Force fashion, leaving no survivors. Even the arrogant captain in a clown suit was rendered helpless by a well flung shuriken, courtesy of Jason.

Keyop tossed his bolas and the final goons toppled as the self assured boy crowed, "Brrrrp----there goes -----brrrp-----the last of 'em."

"Yeah," Jason agreed as he saw the others coming. "But not for long." He pulled Keyop's arm and urged as they flew off in a barrage of laser bullets, "We gotta go get Mark and Princess so we can blow this pop stand. Time's running out."

"Brrrp---how---brrrp---much?"

"About fifteen minutes."

Jason took his gun and blew the door panel open and then the two youths sprinted down the corridor, as the seconds ticked away. . .

At the same time, the commander of G-Force and the Spectran leader were still body to body locked in mortal combat as they struggled with the laser with Mark trying to wrestle the weapon from Zoltar's fingers. In such close contact, the diabolical madman was doing his best to verbally psyche his enemy out.

"Uhhh---you know, G-Force commander---uhhh---your resistance is futile---uhhhh."

"Is that so?" Mark inquired between grunts as he fought to get the gun.

"Indeed. Spectra will eventually conquer Earth and I will conquer you. So why don't you just make it easy on yourself and give in?" Zoltar strained as the Eagle squeezed and twisted his wrist making the hand slightly numb. But in the meantime the cagey Spectran had forced an opening between them and managed to get some space to get his knee in a position of leverage and kicked forward, sending Mark flying. He recovered and seeing Zoltar's intent, rushed forward but he was a split second too late.

Zoltar jumped to his feet and aimed the gun at Rula, lying on Princess and snarled, "Die traitor!" squeezing off a burst of laser right at her midsection.

"AHHHH!" Rula screamed as the blood spurted from the wound, spreading crimson on the pink suit of the Swan.

"Mark!" Princess cried.

Livid, Mark growled, "You filthy bastard! She was one of your own people!"

The Spectran warlord snarled, "Spare me the lecture Eagle and just die already." He aimed the laser pistol to take a shot at the Eagle but Mark had anticipated his move and flung the sonic boomerang before he could pull the trigger. The weapon sheared off the muzzle of the laser and caused it to explode in Zoltar's hand.

"AHHHH! Damn you G-Force brats!" Zoltar howled as he fell back and rose up again to flee. "This is not the end, I assure you!" A distant explosion indicating the pulverizing ray had hit something shook the craft and pieces of the wall fell down as he ran off.

Still furious Mark rattled off a string of curses as he turned and viewed the gruesome tableau of Princess cradling the dying Rula, her identical twin. He had to blink twice to realize that his Princess was thankfully unharmed and he hurried over to kneel beside the fatally wounded Spectran spy.

"Rula," he said softly. "Don't worry, we'll get you on the Phoenix and treat your wounds."

But she weakly shook her head. "No, Mark I-I want to stay here. I'm ready to join my Randy in the afterlife, I-I know he's waiting for me."

"But Spectrans don't believe in an afterlife," Princess pointed out. "The Luminous One is their god."

Rula glanced at the compassionate visage of the girl whose identity she had assumed and smiled, "That's not true. Even if our rulers acknowledge the Luminous One and don't believe in a Supreme God, a lot of us on Spectra believe strongly in God and an afterlife. After all there has to be a better life somewhere."

She coughed up blood and two shadows with wings rushed up as the Condor and the Sparrow came over and tried to hurry their teammates along.

"Brrrp----Princess!" Keyop said happily. "Brrrp---so glad to see you!"

Princess flashed a smile at the boy. "Same here, buddy."

Somewhat impatiently Jason said, " Can we save the joyful reunions for later? This thing's about to blow and we gotta move….now."

Rula coughed again and concerned both Mark and Princess glanced at her. Mark asked again, " Are you sure you don't want to come with us? You can start a new life on Earth."

She shook her head and replied, "There is no life for me without Randy." She then glanced at Princess and said, "You know what I mean."

Princess nodded as she and Mark exchanged a glance that had an entire conversation in its significance. Rula watched the loving gaze and her own eyes rested on the Swan. She coughed again and both again looked at the double as with her eyes flickering she had one last statement.

"You were right, Mark. She does have sweetness in her eyes." And then Rula's emerald eyes closed as she died.

Princess felt her eyes well up as she and Mark both lowered the sad Spectran young woman down. She felt sorry that she had not had time to know the woman who had studied her so diligently to become her. The Swan rose slowly and then was engulfed by an ecstatic and relieved Sparrow.

On his side Mark watched the lovely face that was identical to that of his one and only and felt a measure of regret for if it were not for Rula's help, he would have never beat the mecha and would have probably died without finding Princess. His eyes were azure pools of pity for what he had surmised was a wasted life. But then he saw the Swan and determined that his own purpose and reason for living was still with him. He gave a salute and silent thanks to the woman who helped make that wish a reality.

Never one for sentiment for the enemy and knowing that time was short Jason snapped, "Okay are we done? 'Cause Tiny's waiting in the Phoenix we gotta move, there's only minutes left!"

"Yeah." Mark turned to join his teammates and said to them. "Let's roll."

Princess nodded as Keyop disentangled himself from the bear hug he had given her and then as she attempted to take a step, found that the ordeal and everything she had endured finally caught up with her. She crumpled to her knees, drawing the immediate attention of her teammates and commander.

"Princess!" Mark cried as he sprang to her and caught her. He then scooped her up into his arms and ordered the momentarily stunned Jason and Keyop. "Let's go!"

The three then sprinted down the corridor as the ship continued to shudder, with cracks appearing in the shell as they hurried to the reactor room now filled with smoke as the damage from the pulverizing ray had reached the rear. Fortunately, the air duct that they had used before as an entrance was still intact so the three flew up and then bounded down the vent to the boarding tube of the Phoenix that led to the boarding pod.

In the sleek ship Owl Tiny Harper was at the helm and the door slid open to admit his G-Force comrades, Keyop taking his usual seat but still cradling a limp Princess Mark took the seat next to him. He heaved a sigh of relief as Jason took the seat beside him and barked the order to leave.

"Take off now Tiny, this thing's gonna blow in less than a minute!"

"Big ten," the amiable pilot said as he pushed the thrusters and then opened up the throttle.

The Phoenix rose and turned away, barreling at full speed away from the Devil Star. She was about 5000 miles away when the Spectran ship became a huge white thermonuclear fireball and then a shower of orange as it became space dust, sending a wave that shook the G-Force ship. They all watched as the glowing pieces that was once the Devil Star faded into the black nothingness of space.

The four male members of G-Force continued watch with grim expressions as Eagle Mark rose, still carrying his precious bundle. He issued forth the order to be homeward bound.

"Take us to Earth, Tiny." He then turned and headed to the end of the bridge and added, "If you need me, I'll be in the infirmary."

"Big ten, Commander." Tiny set the course and hand on the thrusters headed the Phoenix for Earth.

Jason made to get up and said, "I'm the other trained medic Chief, I can take care of her."

"NO!" Mark snapped causing the trio to gape at him with wide eyes at the vehemence of his response. "_I'll _take care of her." And he slipped behind the door that slid shut.

The other G-Force members exchanged glances of understanding and wordlessly remained at their posts as they rocketed home. . . .

**NEXT…..,EPILOGUE…..AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING**


	12. AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING

_Author's Note: Well, here's the epilogue to fill a request for some Mark/Princess fluff so here you go—Enjoy and thanks to all the readers and reviewers, you all made this possible._

**EPILOGUE….AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING**

It was a quiet evening at the Snack J, an abnormality as it was a Friday night and since Jill had her grand re-opening, the place had become _the_ place for the college crowd and young professionals to kick back and let loose by week's end. And it had also become the at home hangout of sorts for G-Force while they were on a break from regular duties as Zoltar's defeat this time was severe enough to have him hopefully licking his wounds for quite a while. But the only member of the space commando team in attendance was G-3, who was working there. As usual Princess was at the J, tending bar as she watched the crowd lingering over drinks as the sound system pumped in some slow ballad classics and love songs with the new softer lighting. To try something new, Jill had decided to have theme nights and decreed every other Friday as "Blue Light Friday" like a basement blue light party so the place had become the ultimate date place, with couples packing the place to enjoy the atmosphere set for love. She even hired a DJ to play slow dance tunes to the wee hours.

Princess swallowed a yawn and tried to shake off the doldrums she was experiencing. Since returning from her ordeal on the now destroyed Devil Star the Swan had been re-instated into the PAX on Earth project to see to its completion. Fortunately the Spectrans had not been able to do too much damage due to the alertness of G-Force and especially Eagle Mark in catching the spies. However with the repairs needed and work remaining, the Federation this time assigned three other members from the cyber corps, a man and two women, all of whom were computer geniuses in their own right but another factor was all three were older and married. This fact delighted Mark as he was very adamant with Anderson about what had happened with Randy Addison and wanted to make sure there would not be a repeat. But when the week was over, she still had her duties at the Snack J.

Princess gave a slightly annoyed sigh as she thought about the ever-elusive Eagle, who since their return had again made himself scarce, at least in a personal sense. When the Phoenix had returned, she could not say because the last thing she remembered was collapsing in the deteriorating Devil Star and then waking up in the Center Neptune Medical Center in a hospital room with Chief Anderson by her side but her teammates nowhere to be found. It hurt then and it still stung but not as much as Mark once again keeping her at arm's length and seemingly keeping his distance from her.

_Just like with the flowers, they're all are treating me like I'm Typhoid Princess_ G-3 said sardonically to herself as she watched several more couples file in while some others went out on the dance floor as the slow classic "The Closer I Get" from Roberta Flack sweetened the air. She pasted a smile on her face to transform to the gracious hostess as they came to the bar to get drinks and she was suddenly busy filling orders. Since she was the only one there this Friday, the casual atmosphere was without wait staff so everyone had to order and pick up their drinks at the bar.

She was occupied for several minutes pouring drinks when the door opened and a tall figure with an unruly umber mane and a T-shirt with a "1" on the front entered the J and scanned the crowd at the bar for the pretty brunette behind it. Carrying a concealed bouquet of beautiful roses, Mark unobtrusively made his way to the bar and then took a seat on a stool on the side to surreptitiously watch Princess as she bustled about providing clientele with liquid refreshments.

"Can we have a couple of 7 & 7's?" a curly haired man asked, his arm about a willowy ash blonde with a delicate face. Both were the very pictures of lovers on a date.

"Sure, coming right up," Princess replied pleasantly as she took the bottles of Seagrams and 7-Up and poured the two drinks, adding swizzle sticks and as she stirred, giving the couple napkins and placing the drinks down.

"There you are."

"How much?"

"Four," Princess said as the man gave her a five.

She turned to the cash register and then came back with a dollar when he smiled and said, "Keep the change." He and his date picked up their drinks and headed off to an empty table by the dance floor.

Pleased Princess said, "Thanks." As she placed the dollar in the tip jar and watched the pair vanish into the crowd she saw that in her haste that she had bottles all out on the counter so being the neat freak she was, began to clean up after herself, taking bottles back to recap and store. She was leaning down to store the liquor when a warm baritone spoke.

"Hey gorgeous, how about a dance with me?"

Princess rose with a sigh as she lifted her head from below the bar. "Thanks for asking but I have to---," she stopped in mid sentence as her eyes froze on two warm azure orbs in an aquiline visage she had dreamed about since puberty.

"Hi Princess," the Eagle said with an engaging smile that had her heart pounding as his gaze enveloped her like a warm quilt on a snowy day. For a moment, the Swan had forgotten that prior to his showing up, she had built up a rather strong anger for her commander.

But only for a moment….

Remembering her pique, Princess answered primly, "Hello. What brings you here tonight, Mark? You haven't been around much lately."

"Yeah I know," G-1 said sheepishly as he ran a nervous hand through his hair. "I-I had some things that needed my attention and I figured with you occupied in the PAX project that it was a good time to take care of them."

"I see." The statement was made in a strained manner and a face that clearly indicated that the excuse was not holding water. Princess sighed as she saw the worry flicker in Mark's eyes and his smile faded.

"Looks like that's not going to sell, huh?" He tried to smile again but her hurt expression made it fade as well.

"Mark, can you tell me something?"

"Sure."

"Why?"

He was baffled. "Why what?

Princess dragged a stool over and sat right in front of him, still behind the bar. She fixed him with a cool verdant stare. "Why is it you feel impelled to disappear every time something happens to me that threatens my life? Considering how we've been recently it was...cold."

Mark was genuinely contrite. With nothing else to say and his head down he said, "I'm sorry, Prin."

She sighed and sniffed, "You always are, Mark. But it seems to keep happening. Tell me is this…coldness something I should just expect the next time something happens to me directly?"

A customer coming to the bar for a drink order interrupted the conversation momentarily as Princess went to fix drinks for a table of four. During the brief respite, Mark sat berating himself as he agreed deep down with her impression of him being cold and began wondering why he felt so fearful of being in her presence after almost losing her.

_It was the same after the flowers. I just couldn't see her and feel weighed down with the guilt of allowing her to be put in danger and not being able to protect her. But then I realize she's a trained space soldier, like me and more than able to handle capture, even torture. Yet now that I know that I love her how can I reconcile myself to the fact that either of us at anytime could….die. My own death I'm not concerned with….but Princess?_

A chill went to the pit of his stomach and just stung there with the remembrances of how he felt cradling her as they raced from the Devil Star, her slender form so still. But he had savagely pushed those emotions aside as he and the others rushed back to the Phoenix just barely making it before the Spectran ship became obliterated into space dust. On the ride home in Sick Bay, Mark had stayed right by Princess and he held her hand as she lay on the pallet, unconscious. Several times he had fought back tears, tears like he had shed as he flew over the flowers and thought he was setting the fire that killed her and began to pray that she would be all right. Upon landing at Center Neptune, he had scooped her up again and took her right to the medical center, then became afraid that when she opened her eyes, they would look at him with accusation in their verdant depths so he took off. It had been a coward's choice and at the time Mark had felt shamed by his teeming inadequacies but his quick mind came up with an idea to get him out of the doghouse tonight.

Another several couples drifted into the J and to the bar so seeing Princess occupied with mixing drinks, Mark got up leaving the roses and headed over to the DJ stand where a lean cinnamon colored fellow named Thad was gearing up for a session of romantic dance music. He wended his way past some couples dancing to the piped in slow tunes and stopped at the sound board. . . .

Meanwhile Princess had just finished mixing and serving the drinks and her mind was immediately back to continuing the heart-to-heart she was having with G-1 so she headed back to the far side of the bar. But when she got there, she was dismayed as she saw through the dim light of the bar that Mark was gone. She sighed in disappointment and was about to perform her own vanishing act when she spotted the bouquet of roses, lying on the stool.

Her heart pounding in pleasure Princess reached over the bar and took the bouquet, lifting it to her nose, inhaling deeply of its perfume. She closed her eyes to savor the fragrance when a familiar baritone purred to her.

"I'm glad you like the roses."

Princess smiled and glanced up to see Mark's blue eyes twinkling. "Uh-huh. I thought you said after the flower ordeal that it would be a long time before you bought any flowers."

Mark leaned closer and said, "I know I did. But I figured that the occasion warranted it so I bit the bullet and got 'em." There was a boyish hope in his expression as he asked, "So am I forgiven?"

Princess continued admiring the flowers with no direct answer. "I see. Desperate times call for desperate measures," she remarked a bit sadly but still smiling.

"Sort of." Mark's features became pleading as he asked, "Are you still going to be pissed at me?"

Princess' smile completely faded to a hurt expression as she asked her own question softly, "I just want to know, Mark. Is my being on the team a struggle for you?"

His mouth dropped open incredulous as he shook his head vehemently. "That's silly. You know the answer to that is no, Princess. You're an invaluable asset to G-Force."

She sniffed, "Sometimes I wonder. Based on how you guys reacted after I was saved from the flowers and the way you've acted now it would seem that all you guys have a hard time with me, the only girl getting into a predicament and needing to be rescued. You all just vanish after the fact." She put the roses down on the counter behind and stood with arms akimbo.

Mark ran a hand through his hair. "Keyop took off again, too?" It was a foolish question for G-4 had informed the commander that he and Tiny were heading out to the marina and Tiny's boat while Princess was still in the hospital unconscious. He had tried to talk the Sparrow out of it but the youth had made up his mind. Besides, who was he to dictate since he was guilty of basically doing the same thing.

Princess nodded her ebony head as another group of people came to the bar for drinks. But before she went to tend to their needs G-1 grasped her hand.

"Prin, I know we need to talk honey, and I promise you we will." The G-Force commander was in earnest as his summer sky eyes did their magic. "Just come out with me on the dance floor and that's what we'll do."

Their eyes met and locked with Mark's pleading rendering G-3 momentarily motionless as a man called, "Excuse me, miss can we get something to drink?"

Shaking from her inertia Princess replied, "Yes sir, I'll be right there." She pulled her hand from Mark's warm grasp and said, "I-I have to get back to work."

"Okay. But I meant what I said about us talking and I'm not going anywhere." Just to prove his point, Mark folded his arms stubbornly, proof positive he was digging his heels in.

Princess acquiesced, "Okay. I'll be back as soon as I'm done." She hurried to the growing line of thirsty patrons.

Mark could not help but grin as he watched the beautiful Swan smile and fill orders, amazed as always by her resiliency. It was not even a week since her outer space ordeal at Zoltar's hands and here she was pouring drinks and acting like nothing had happened, like she had not been on the cutting edge of life and death. That is what made all five of them on G-Force an exception for to be able to resume "normal" lives after being in battles with a madman like Zoltar is what put them in a separate category than other soldiers.

He marveled as he watched the crowd and asked silently _I wonder what these folks would do if they knew it was the Swan from G-Force serving them drinks?_ The media had trumpeted the defeat of Spectra in its attempt to sabotage PAX and the television had him and his team plastered on it since their return. They were celebrities in birdstyle but craving privacy they continued to keep their anonymity intact in their street clothes and everyday occupations. He had begun doing freelance courier service with his plane so he would not have to explain sudden disappearances when duty called. It was a necessary aspect of being G-Force.

Mark's musings were interrupted by the deep, silky growl of Thad as he made his announcement of the evening's musical entertainment. "Well, hello cats and kittens and welcome to the Snack J tonight where the time is ripe for love. So come join me on the dance floor while I spin the wax to take you all on a ride to romance. Beginning with the Chi-Lites."

The throbbing bass and haunting harmonica intro of "Oh Girl" issued from the four huge speakers as the song began and the words entered Mark's head

**_Ohhhh Girl, I'd be in trouble if you left me now_**

_**Cause I don't know where to look for love, I just don't know how**_

_**Ohhhh Girl, how I depend on you**_

_**To give me love when I need it, right on time you'd always be…**_

The words of the song drove the Eagle's thoughts and his azure orbs until they rested in rapt attention on the slender shape of the Swan as she worked mixing drinks for what seemed to be a growing throng. His heart was pounding as it always did when near Princess and he was deep in reverie as the songs played on, all R & B ballads that were made for slow dancing.

_"It's a Thin Line Between Love and Hate", "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "Love on a Two-Way Street", "Hey There, Lonely Girl", "Leaving Me", Have You Seen Her?"_ All songs that spoke of troubles and misunderstandings between lovers and seemingly appropriate to the strain between him and his girl, Mark sat and built up the line of defense for his pending explanation. He began to get impatient to resolve everything as it now appeared that the crowd at the bar was getting larger and his much anticipated dance with Princess was put off indefinitely.

_Damn where did all these people come from? And why'd they have to pick now to get thirsty? _Mark groused watching the crowd belly up to the bar and then had to stifle a groan as the door of the Snack opened and even more couples came in. That was a guarantee that Princess would stay busy for at least the next hour.

From over at the soundboard, Thad had glanced across the crowded dance floor and made a covert signal to Mark, which he caught and nodded to, knowing the DJ was just checking with him for the little surprise he had arranged. He got up and winded his way to the soundboard to where Thad was spinning the tunes and the DJ leaned down to talk to the Eagle.

"Hey man when do you want me to play the tune you want?" The DJ was busy getting records set up for playing on the twin turntables to ensure continuous music.

Mark sighed and said, "Beats me. You take a look at the bar recently?" A dark scowl came across his even features, displaying his displeasure.

Thad gave a long whistle. "I see what you mean."

Mark grunted, "At this rate, she won't be able to get away from the bar till closing time." He sighed again as he said, "I think it's a lost cause."

Thad grinned as he said, "Don't sweat it, my man. I'll stick around afterward when the place is closed. It'll be better the dance floor will be empty and Prin'll be free."

Mark's expression brightened. "You sure? I don't want to hold you up."

The DJ shook his Afro. "Nah, it'll be okay."

Mark offered his hand and the men grabbed each other's thumbs in the soul handshake. "Thanks, man."

"No problem."

Satisfied, Mark made his way back to his stool at the bar to wait things out. . . .

Meanwhile, Princess was still mixing and serving drinks to what appeared to her to be an endless sea of patrons and she began to think the same thing, that any conversation between her and Mark would probably not happen. At least until after she closed the Snack J and that was not for a couple of hours at least.

As she continued to fill drink orders, Princess' mind dwelled upon of all people, her impostor, the poor girl from Spectra that had died in her arms. She wondered about the type of person she had been, and what she had to endure to train herself to be her mirror image in addition to undergoing the pain of genetic manipulation so she could actually become her. Princess thought about how Rula had done what she could to help her and Mark escape and then wondered what had transpired during her own absence. She especially wondered how Mark had reacted and what he had done while Rula's cover was intact. She then recalled the last statement about herself her double made before she died and when she did pass Mark's face showing shock and what?…..regret?…sadness? After all, she had been playing the part of being her and Princess was sure that included close times with Mark, since he was not only her commander but her boyfriend. He was a decent person so it was not out of the realm of possibility that the Eagle would be genuinely disturbed by the girl's senseless death but was there more there than met the eye? Or was she just suspicious because of his recent hiatus from her?

Questions flew through her mind as she served the crowd at the J and then noticed that his stool at the end of the bar was empty, making her mood gloomier if possible. _Well, I guess the Eagle flew the coop again. He probably got tired of sticking around._

"Miss, how about a couple of Tequila Sunrises?" a man asked.

"Sure, coming up."

Automatically filling two glasses with crushed ice Princess reached for a bottle of tequila and a jug of orange juice and mixed the two, then added the grenadine, tilting the glasses to get the effect of the sunrise. She pasted a smile on her face as she served the drinks and then seeing a lull in activity, leaned back and remembered again…

_Ha tequila. Ironic. It was a virgin Margarita that I had with Randy that started the whole mess. I never should have left with him. But I was fooled completely by him, thinking he was with the Federation. Talk about having a blonde moment! _Princess berated herself as more romantic soul ballads played, drifting through the J as everyone was paired up and on the dance floor. Her spirits flagged as she felt her confidence waver and her pretty face looked faraway and sad.

Then a baritone caused her heart to leap. "Princess? Are you okay?"

She turned and her eyes met blue ones, soft with concern. "I thought you had split."

Mark grinned and leaned to take hold of her hands. "Silly. I told you I wasn't going anywhere and you know I always keep my word."

Princess returned the smile with a nod. "Yes you do." She then shrugged and said apologetically, "I'm sorry that I've been so busy that we haven't been able to have our dance."

He squeezed her hands and reassured her. "It's okay. Maybe we can after everyone leaves."

Princess protested, "But it'll be so late."

Mark leaned even closer as he murmured, "I'm not sleepy. Are you?"

She shook her ebony curls. "Uh-uh."

Another group came to the bar for drinks, garnering the Swan's immediate attention. "Duty calls," she said reluctant to leave.

"Yeah." The Eagle let go of her hands and said, "Go get 'em, sweetheart."

Warmed by his endearment, Princess winked and then went to work as he studied her, smiling softly and his eyes lit with affection. . . .

About two hours later the crowd had finally thinned as closing time was drawing near and Thad continued spinning slow dance tunes for the stragglers remaining. Now that she was done tending bar Princess and Mark were sitting on stools side by side, holding hands and talking.

Princess lowered her head as she listened to the music and Mark's thumb lightly traced circles on the hand he held, and the question of most importance to her was on her lips as she confronted him.

"Mark?"

"Huh?" The Eagle's eyes turned to her inquiringly.

"Can I ask you a question?"

He grinned at her and squeezed her hand. "You bet. What's on your mind?"

Princess hesitated and turned from his direct azure gaze, feeling suddenly awkward. "I---ahhh—I've been wondering what happened while I was gone and the girl Spectra sent as my double was here."

Mark stiffened slightly as he continued holding the Swan's hand. "Well, uhhh, we all thought she was you at first, honey."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he admitted, feeling the chill as her face became dubious. So he hastily added, "B-but I always had a feeling that something wasn't right. I mean, she just wasn't acting like you."

Princess leaned closer, very interested. "How was that, Mark?"

Now he became uncomfortable under her verdant scrutiny. He sighed and replied, "She just wasn't you, Princess. She was too forward, too pushy and that's not you."

Princess glanced down, lowering her head as she ascertained Mark's statement. "I see. So you were with her," she declared softly, hurt by the fact.

Worried by her attitude, Mark let go of her hand to place one hand on her shoulder and take hold of her chin with the other to raise her head to look at him. He took a deep breath and plunged right in.

"Look, I'm not gonna lie to you. I was with her a couple of times but each time I was with her, something didn't feel right and then there was a communications failure on Vector Neptune so the chief had me and Jason check Addison and who we thought was you out. Plus, I was getting Bird Scrambles from you that she was denying sending to me. And that's when I found out that my suspicions were right, she wasn't you so we nabbed her and found out that Spectra had captured you and made the switch. Anderson arrested her and Addison but then they disappeared and then we came after you."

"I see," Princess' tone was slightly distant as she digested the information. Mark groaned inwardly as he saw the signs of his girl's pique and hastened to reassure her. He clapped his hands on her shoulders and stared straight at her so he could keep her attention.

"Prin, please listen to me. I may have been initially fooled by the fact that she was beautiful like you, as a matter of fact your spitting image. But believe me baby, that's where the similarity ended. You want to know why?"

Her eyes were riveted by the guileless orbs of blue as she nodded. "Uh-huh."

Mark leaned close and murmured, "Because when I was with her it was like getting hit with a ton of bricks."

Princess said wryly, "I don't know if I want to hear the rest of this."

Mark grinned, "Yeah, well you'll like this part. When I'm with you I feel like I do when I'm flying, like I'm at the top of the world and nothing can touch me." He leaned even closer and said, "Being with you is like feeling a warm breeze blowing on me as I lay on a hill, perfectly natural like everything is absolutely right. Nobody can ever make me feel the way you do, Princess."

Princess closed her eyes as a warmth spread through her heart at his confession. But then she remembered her hurt as tears welled up and then she asked, "Then why did you avoid me right after you rescued me?" Her head lowered and her face was veiled by her midnight tresses.

Now the Eagle also lowered his head in shame. "Because I know that Anderson's been right all along about us getting too close. I'm having a hard time accepting the fact that my duty keeps me from doing the natural thing, protect the woman I love." He raised his head to look directly at the Swan and added, "After you passed out on the Devil Star, I took you back to the Phoenix and stayed with you the whole ride back home. But when we got back, I was afraid that when you woke up, you'd blame me for not protecting you and I couldn't face that so I made myself scarce." Mark lowered his head again as he beseeched, "Please forgive me."

There was a pregnant pause between G-1 and G-3 as during the intense discussion the J had become deserted and the music had stopped making the atmosphere between the couple thick with tension. The words stood between them like an invisible force field as Princess spoke first.

"Idiot."

Mark's head flew up as he became incredulous. "Huh?"

"You heard me. You're an idiot, Mark." She watched as dismay spread across his even features and giggled. "Oh come on. Don't you know that I'd never blame you for anything that would happen to me on a mission." She placed her hand on his shoulder as she went on. "I knew when I agreed to join G-Force that it would put me, put us in constant peril and that one day we might not come home and go to the afterlife. And I accepted that as long as I know that if we die, we'll die together."

She then continued in a soft voice, "But when we're off duty, and the danger is gone I expect you to come to me to show me that you're glad to see I'm all right. Just like I would do for you." Princess added, "_That's_ what hurts, Mark. It tells me that you don't care."

Mark echoed, "Don't care? Oh Princess…"

An announcement from the soundboard echoed in the empty Snack J. "Okay folks, we're gonna wrap this up with a special song dedicated to the lovely lady named Princess at the bar from a secret admirer. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell singing 'Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing'." Thad grinned widely and held a thumbs up to the Eagle.

The introduction of the song began: **_Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby Ain't nothing like the real thing…_**

Her eyes wide forest pools Princess stared as Mark got to his feet with a sweet smile and a twinkle in his eyes, holding out his hand. "Dance with me now?"

A smile teased at her full pink lips as she nodded and took his proffered hand to walk to the now empty dance floor and the Eagle and Swan swayed to the music locked in each other's arms. Their mouths then found each other as well with no further words necessary as the song spoke to their hearts:

_**Ain't nothing like the real thing…**_

**END**

_Final Note: Well, it's finally done. I hope all of you enjoyed it and thanks again for sticking with me through thick, thin, and the dreaded writer's block._

_GoldAngel2_


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